Pokémon: Keyblade Masters - Remastered Edition
by King of Plot Bunnies
Summary: Collaboration with Auriansmule. A "remaster" of his original Pokemon: Keyblade Masters. "Ash's world has been consumed by darkness. His world destroyed, he is thrust into an adventure he never thought possible, making lifelong friends and fierce enemies." FateIntertwineShipping AshxAqua.
1. Dive Into the Heart - Redux

**Chapter 1: Dive Into the Heart - Redux**

* * *

Falling. He was falling. He was falling through the sky; soaring past memories of his life. Meeting his friends; the adventures they shared, encountering the legends of his world and battling the evil that threatened them all.

Who is he, you might ask? Why, he is none other than Ash Ketchum from the rural town of Pallet.

One by one, the images flew by. He opened his mouth to shout out, but no sound escaped him. Faster and faster they came; searing themselves into his mind until he felt as though he were about to break.

Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it all stopped and he found himself floating; as though being cradled by a gentle ocean. Slowly, tentatively, Ash righted himself until his feet touched down on an inky-black surface. A glance around told him that he stood within a pitch-black void. Taking a deep, calming breath — a bit surprised that he could breath at all, given the circumstances — the raven-haired teen stepped forward; only to gasp as the ground beneath him shattered into a cascade of pure white doves and revealed him to be standing upon a circular, stained-glass pillar.

Furrowing his brow, Ash was shocked to find himself staring at a mosaic image of his oldest friend, Misty sitting upon a rock surrounded by a serene ocean. The red-haired girl's eyes were closed and were it not for her upright posture, he would have thought her to be asleep.

Shaking his head in complete confusion, Ash once again gazed into the endless black void that surrounded the pillar. "...Where am I…?"

 _ **Value friendship**_.

A voice suddenly pierced through the surrounding gloom and caused the boy to let out a startled yelp. Glancing about in every direction, Ash attempted to find the source of the voice and to his growing concern, the voice continued in its low, reverberating tone.

 _ **There is no time to be indecisive.**_

 _ **You must be strong.**_

 _ **Your path is set before you.**_

 _ **Your journey begins in the dead of night.**_

The teen felt himself reflexively stiffen as as three pedestals slowly rose from the ground before him. Upon each of them was an item — a weapon.

Ash waited for the voice to speak. When nothing happened, he let out a sigh and turned his attention to the three weapons before him. It seemed that he was meant to take one of them. He made his way over to the closest of the three — a sword. Grasping it by the hilt, Ash brought the blade to eye level and examined it closely. While he could hardly be called an expert on weaponry, even he could tell that it was truly a masterpiece of craftsmanship. The hilt fit perfectly within his hand and the blade itself was just long enough to give him plenty of reach without being too cumbersome.

But most of all, it felt _right_ in his hands — like an extension of his arm.

 _ **Power of the Warrior: Invincible Courage**_

 _ **A sword of terrible destruction.**_

 _ **Do you accept this power?**_

While the voice's sudden return had caused him to flinch, Ash gave the sword a few practice swings. Sure. Why not?

Wordlessly, he nodded.

He hadn't even been able to finish the motion before the three pedestals suddenly fell through the glass below him; causing the entire pillar to shatter into thousands of pieces. Shouting in alarm, Ash found himself falling flat on his face atop a new pillar. This time the mosaic featured his most constant companion — the Pokémon breeder, Brock. Like Misty before him, the tanned teenager had his eyes closed as he leaned against the edge of the pillar. The mountains of Pewter City stood tall and proud in the background.

 _ **You have chosen the weapon of the warrior.**_

 _ **You must now prove yourself in combat.**_

Ash leapt back as a silvery-white creature suddenly materialized before him. "W-What the heck _is_ that?!"

 _ **You are in danger. What will you do?**_

Without a second thought, the raven-haired teen reached for his Poké Balls at his waist; only to freeze as his hand came up empty. Where were they?! Charizard? Sceptile? Greninja? _Pikachu?!_

The silvery creature suddenly lunged at him, forcing the boy to frantically stumble backwards. Landing squarely on his rear, Ash scrambled away from the creature on all fours.

' _What now?'_ he thought desperately as the creature once again began advancing towards him. As though in answer to this silent questioned, the same sword from before suddenly appeared in his hand in a flash of light.

"The sword…?" Ash murmured; staring at the blade. He caught movement in his peripheral vision and instinctively raised the weapon to defend himself. A loud clang resounded throughout the gloomy darkness as the creature's claws made contact with the sword. Hissing slightly, the mysterious creature drew back and glared at him balefully.

Blinking slightly, Ash unsteadily rose to his feet as a torrent of images and information began flooding into his mind. Almost unbidden, he raised the sword into a ready stance; as though he'd done this hundreds of times before.

A hiss was his only warning as the unidentified creature lunged at him once more. Narrowing his eyes, he allowed his body to move on its own; parrying its attack before launching into his own string of blows. He cut; he hacked; he slashed and with a grunt, he ended the creature with a stab to the chest; causing it to explode in a shower of blue sparks.

Ash stood there panting for a good half-minute before turning to stare at the sword incredulously. How did he just do that? He'd never held a sword in his life let alone used one in combat. How then, did he know just where to strike; how to move his feet; how to _fight?_

He wasn't able to ponder this phenomenon for long before two similar creatures suddenly materialized. One before him and one behind him. They were performing a flanking maneuver. Ash's eyes narrowed as the two creatures began circling him.

Without warning, they both lunged from either direction. Ash simply leapt back; allowing them to collide with each other before quickly bisecting them both with his sword. The creatures dissolved into blue sparks, prompting the teen to release a breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding.

 _ **Well done.**_

With those words of praise, an enormous, translucent staircase appeared behind him in a flash of white light. Letting out a quiet sigh, Ash followed the stairs down to yet another pillar. This time, the mosaic was of May, Dawn, Iris and Serena; hands linked in a circle. Together they lay, eyes closed, within a copse of trees — dappled light gently glistening through the canopy above.

Suddenly, Ash felt the hair on the back of his neck rise as the surrounding shadows began to move. Slowly, they crept forward until they took physical shape. It was all he could do not to recoil as the shadows' grotesque forms were revealed to him. Razor-sharp claws, wiry antennae and beady yellow eyes were not a pleasant combination and their twitchy, cringe-inducing movements only added to their general unpleasantness.

Any further thoughts on their appearance were put on hold, as an instant later, he once again found himself embroiled in battle. Calling the blade into his hands, he ducked beneath a slash aimed at his face. He deftly twirled his blade around and stabbed the offending creature in the chest; causing it to dissolve into shadows once more. Dashing forward, he slashed his way through another before finding himself face-to-face with the final creature.

It lunged at him, but the raven-haired teen was quick to leap over it — using the creature's own back as leverage to do so — and cut it clean through the middle. Ash didn't even have time to catch his breath before the floor beneath him shattered. Shouting in alarm, the boy found himself once again face-planting on to the surface of the next pillar.

"Okay, what the _heck?!_ " he grumbled. "I know for a _fact_ that you can make stairs. That was completely unnecessary!"

Ash was startled by the sound of giggling piercing through the darkness. The voice was _much_ clearer than before. Whereas earlier it had sounded far-off and almost ambient in nature — as if thousands of voices were speaking at once; this time he was able to distinguish it. It sounded… female. Girlish, almost.

Shaking his head, Ash took the opportunity to appraise the newest pillar. This time, he found that it depicted a boy with spiky, brown hair in a red jumpsuit, large yellow shoes and carrying a strange, key-like sword. Within small circles above the boy's head were other distinct individuals.

One was of a duck-like creature.

Another was of a dog-like being.

One was of a boy with shoulder-length, silver hair.

A girl with chin-length red hair.

A young-looking boy with spiky blond hair.

An older boy with long, spiky, brunet hair.

And finally, a girl with shoulder-length aqua-colored hair.

The station itself was blue in color and depicted in the background was a tropical island in the middle of a vast ocean. Within the trees, Ash could just barely make out what appeared to be star-shaped fruit.

 _ **Your final task is now at hand.**_

He jumped slightly as the voice once again pierced through the darkness. Like earlier however, the voice was genderless and reverberating.

 _ **Now, you must face your fiercest enemy…**_

A sense of trepidation filled him as Ash warily gazed out into the surrounding darkness. But nothing came. All around him was nothing but darkness; his only companion being his own shadow. Wait… his shadow…?

 _ **Beware; for the closer you get to the light...**_

 _ **The greater your shadow becomes.**_

Ash could only watch in growing horror as his own shadow began to steadily grow larger and larger until it nearly engulfed the entirety of the pillar. Like a wrathful phantom, it gazed down upon him with eerily glowing eyes.

"My greatest enemy… is myself?" he whispered.

As though awaiting these very words, his shadow suddenly tore itself from the two-dimensional plane and took shape into a giant, grotesque caricature of himself with writhing, snake-like hair. The creature let out a fearsome roar and Ash instinctively took a step back.

 _ **Don't be afraid…**_

Ash blinked as the voice once again grew distinguishable. Suddenly, a feeling of warmth spread throughout his body and he felt himself relax. A bright white light flashed before him and the teen found himself staring at a crimson-red, star-shaped charm attached to a string. Ash gently took it in his hands and examined it. The charm was definitely nothing fancy, but it was beautiful nonetheless and reminded him of the fruit he had seen pictured in the stained glass.

 _ **We are connected.**_

 _ **So, don't be afraid.**_

The teen nodded with a weak smile as a feeling of reassurance began flooding through him. He gently placed the charm around his neck and tucked it into his shirt. Taking a deep breath, Ash called the sword to him one more time.

Brown eyes met venomous yellow. And with that, the two struck. The creature thrust its arm straight at the teen, which was deftly sidestepped. The trainer took the opportunity to leap up and deliver a slash at the creature's face. The monster let out a roar of pain before lashing out with its snake-like hair. Ash let out a startled yelp as one of the snake's' jaws snapped shut just inches from his face. Leaping back, he dashed away to avoid the oncoming swarm of serpents.

His eyes narrowing, the raven-haired boy timed a jump straight over the snake-like hair and straight towards the creature's face. As he cut through the monster's thick skin, it let out an enraged shriek and lashed its arm out in a wide sweep; catching him square in the chest and sending flying towards the other side of the platform.

 _ **Nearly there…**_

Steeling himself, Ash grit his teeth and dashed forward one last time. The creature once again roared as it threw one, final punch. The boy leapt over its incoming fist and landed on the monster's arm. Wasting no time, Ash ran up the length of its arm before making one last leap at its face. Unleashing a downward slash, he landed and glanced up at the monster that had once been his very own shadow.

Brown eyes met yellow. Finally, the creature dissolved into shadows once more; his own shadow returning to its uninteresting, inanimate form. Ash let out a sigh of relief and it was all he could do not to collapse in exhaustion.

He waited for the voice to return, but oddly enough; nothing happened. Ash glanced around at the surrounding darkness in confusion. It was only when he felt the odd sensation of cold water washing over his feet that he finally glanced down…

Only to let out an alarmed shout. He was sinking! His feet were being engulfed by a black shadow and he was slowly sinking into it!

 _ **You hold the mightiest weapon of all.**_

Ash paid the voice no heed as he began to violently thrash about in an attempt to free himself. The sword disappeared from his grasp as he reached down and tried to pry his leg out. It did him no good. The darkness was consuming him.

 _ **Don't be afraid… I'm right here.**_

The voice's gentle reassurance was the last thing he heard before everything went black.

* * *

 **A/N: So, yeah. Here it is. The original Pokemon: Keyblade Masters seems to be the go-to fic for this fandom. But let's be honest here. It wasn't very well-written. I've PM'd the author and even Auriansmule himself seemed to be kind of embarrassed by how bad it was at times.**

 **I asked him if he had any intention of re-writing it, but he told me that he quit fanfiction two years ago and he intends to stick by that decision. I have to respect that. I know how tempting it is to want to write something. Hell, my username pretty much reflects my ADHD.**

 **So, partially out of that respect, I offered my services to him in remastering his original work and he agreed. As such, this is indeed a** _ **remaster**_ **. It will be shinier. The language will be flowerier. I may even add in a new subplot or two. But the overall story will be the same.**

 **With some King of Plot Bunnies flair, of course! (Under the strict supervision of Auriansmule. God! What a buzzkill ;_;)**

 **Now, please understand that this is a side project for me. I wish to focus the majority of my efforts on my own fics, so this one will definitely not be receiving regular updates. I will be writing "whenever the hell I feel like it".**

 **Anyway thanks for reading and be sure to leave a comment below even if it's just to say "The original was better." (Freakin hipsters...)**

 **\- Your King**


	2. Darkness - Remastered

**Chapter 2: Darkness - Remastered**

* * *

Ash's eyes snapped open; his entire body drenched in cold sweat. Almost leaping to his feet, he glanced about wildly; as if expecting one of the horrific creatures to suddenly lunge at him. Both to his relief and vexation, he found himself staring at the interior of his bedroom.

"Pi?" a familiar voice called out to him. Turning his gaze downward, his eyes were met with the curious orbs of his first Pokemon.

"Pikachu…" Ash said softly.

That's right. He was back in Pallet Town after the defeat of Team Flare and the cancellation of the Kalos League. "Just a dream…" he murmured to himself; falling wearily back onto his bed. Turning to face the open window, he saw the sun high in the sky. A quick glance at his bedside alarm clock told him it was nine in the morning. He'd slept in a fair amount.

"Better get up before Mom starts nagging," Ash said; grinning at Pikachu, who cooed in response. He quickly he sat up and stretched his limbs out. He froze, however, upon feeling something press against his chest as he was doing his stretches. A feeling of trepidation trickling into his mind; he slowly reached down and grasped the object.

Pulling the unidentified object out of his shirt, he could only stare at it in total shock. It was the very same charm he'd been given in the dream last night. ' _Where did this come from?_ ' Ash's mind was racing. He had no memory of owning something like this; let alone wearing it to bed.

"Pikachu, do you recognize this?" he asked; turning towards the electric rodent and holding the charm out. Pikachu sniffed at it for a few moments before shaking his head.

"Pika."

Apparently not. But that could only mean…

"It wasn't a dream…?" the sixteen year-old whispered; holding the star-shaped pendant up to the light. He admired it for several moments as it gleamed beautifully in the morning sunlight before placing it around his neck.

Almost immediately, he could… _feel_ several unknown presences. One by one, the presences grew closer. The first did so without hesitation, while the other two approached at a more wary pace. He wasn't entirely sure how or why, but for some reason, he wasn't alarmed by it. If he were to be honest, he actually felt calmer than he did a few moments ago.

Ash smiled ever-so-slightly. It felt… nice.

A suddenly knock on his bedroom door broke him from his reverie. "Ash, honey?" the voice of his mother called to him from the other side. "Are you awake yet? Your breakfast is getting cold!"

"One second, Mom!" the teen replied; quickly tucking the charm back into his shirt before beginning to change into his usual outfit during his adventures in Kalos.

They'd returned to Pallet just yesterday after bidding a heartfelt farewell to Serena, Clemont and Bonnie. Though it'd been painful to say goodbye, they'd all promised to meet again soon. Clemont and Bonnie were actually due to arrive in Kanto sometime within the next few days, having just taken a day to check on the gym before heading out again. Serena had been asked by her mother to stick around for a few week or two but would most likely be soon to follow.

Shaking his head to avoid losing himself in memories of his companions, Ash and Pikachu quickly made their way downstairs where the smell of his mother's famous eggs and bacon was wafting. Feeling his mouth beginning to water, he eagerly sat down and proceeded to gorge himself; as usual.

"Oh, dear," Delia giggled to herself from where she was washing the dishes. "Still haven't learned your table manners, have you Ash? You and Pikachu... I honestly sometimes wonder how those girls put up with you…"

"Wha wash tha?" the teen asked through a mouthful of bacon goodness.

"Pi?" the yellow mouse similarly asked through a mouthful of ketchup.

"Oh, nothing," she said; shaking her head bemusedly. "So, what were you planning on doing today, sweetie?"

"Well, I promised Professor Oak I would show him my Mega Evolutions," Ash explained after successfully swallowing his food. "He wanted to see them yesterday, but we were just too tired from the plane ride back."

"Well, it would be bad manners to keep the professor waiting," Delia said; waving her hands in a shooing motion. "Go on, now. No need to lick your plate clean."

"Thanks, Mom," the raven-haired boy smiled. "I missed your cooking."

"You're welcome, sweetheart," she replied with a soft smile of her own. She ruffled his hair affectionately before placing his signature hat atop his head. "Now go. The professor is waiting!"

"Let's go, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed; offering his arm, which Pikachu gladly used as a springboard before taking his place on his shoulder. "We'll be back later, Mom!"

"Have fun!" Delia called out; watching as he took off out the door. Smiling to herself, she shook her head. "Just like his father…I wonder where you are now, beloved?"

Once again shaking her head, the brown-haired woman resumed her daily chores; humming a cheerful tune as she did.

* * *

"Hello?" Ash called out as he and Pikachu entered the eerily silent mansion owned by Pallet Town's resident Pokemon Professor. "Is anyone h—"

Before he could even finish his statement, he felt the ground beginning to rumble. He didn't even have time to share an alarmed look with Pikachu before someone came tumbling down the stairs and landed at his feet.

"Argh! My back!"

"Er… are you okay, Professor?"

"Ash?" Oak glanced up at him in surprise. "Ash, my boy! You're here!" The man leapt to his feet as though he hadn't just taken a potentially deadly fall down the stairs. "Excellent, now I can see your Mega Evolution firsthand!"

"Are you… _sure_ you're okay?"

"Nonsense!" The professor scoffed and flexed his right arm. "I'm as right as rain! Now let's head out to the back!"

Ash could only watch as the somewhat eccentric old man made his way towards the backdoor. "Pika…" His Pokemon said in an exasperated tone.

"Took the words out of my mouth," the teen chuckled before following the man outside. Before his eyes could adjust to the light, however, he found himself being tackled to the ground by a large creature. "Argh! Bayleef!"

"Bay, Bay!" the grass-type cried out affectionately as she rubbed her face against him.

"Pi Pikachu!"

"Bay!"

"Now, now!" Professor Oak quickly pulled the overly-affectionate sauropod off of him. "I understand you're excited to see your trainer, but there will be plenty of time for that later!"

"Sorry, Bayleef," Ash said; patting her on the head. "We'll play later, I promise. Could you do me a favor and gather the others? I have some new friends to introduce to you guys."

"No need," Oak said; his eyes locked on an incoming dust cloud rapidly approaching their location. "It looks like they're already on their way."

"Oh, boy…" Ash gulped. Licking his lips, he moved several yards in front of the house and waited until the stampeding Pokemon were just twenty yards away. "STOP!" Amazingly enough, the Pokemon obeyed; skidding to a halt just a few meters away from his person. "Whew. That was close. It's great to see you guys again!"

A cacophony of noise was their response as they each called out to him in their own unique way. His thirty Tauros even began stomping their hooves in excitement; causing miniature earthquake. "Alright, alright!" Ash chuckled, a beaming smile on his face. "Are you guys ready to meet your new friends?" Once more, they each bellowed out their approval. "Some of them, you've already met. Talonflame, Hawlucha, Noivern. Front and center!"

The three indicated Pokemon stepped out from the crowd and stood single file in front of him. Patting each of them on the head, he leaned in to whisper. "I'm sorry you guys had to stay here," he whispered. "I needed as much firepower as possible to stop Team Flare and Zygarde."

They each gave him a reassuring trill. They didn't hold it against him. Ash smiled at this and turned to face his Pokemon as a whole. "Unfortunately, our friend Goodra decided to stay behind in Kalos to protect his friends in the wetlands," he said with a proud, albeit melancholy smile. "But I've still got two more friends to introduce." Reaching for his belt, he unclipped two Poke Balls and tossed them into the air; unleashing the creatures within.

One was a large, blue, bipedal, frog-like Pokémon with a pink tongue wrapped around its neck like a scarf.

The other was a white, bipedal Pokémon with a lower body resembling a slim ballroom gown and a head of blue hair. An intricate pendant hung around her neck, resting just over the heart.

"This is Greninja and Gardevoir, say hello, everyone!" Greninja simply nodded in his awesome ninja-way while Gardevoir gave the gathered Pokemon a graceful bow. Unbeknownst to Ash, Bayleef immediately zeroed in on this new addition. The psychic-type was standing _far_ too close to their trainer for comfort...

"Bayleef, what's wrong now?" The teen gave his Pokemon a confused frown as she dashed forward and began nuzzling him again.

"Baaaay!" The sauropod whimpered, sending a glare at the blue-haired intruder. Gardevoir glared right back at her. Ash and Pikachu could only watch in growing confusion as lightning began crackling between their eyes. Standing on Ash's other side, Greninja simply shook his head, facepalming slightly.

Ash turned to see Professor Oak looking rather impatient with their antics. Chuckling to himself, he turned back towards his Pokemon. "Uh, a little help?" In response, a pair of vines extended from the crowd and wrapped themselves around Bayleef. The grass-type cried out in dismay as Bulbasaur dragged her away. Gardevoir sent her a smug look before letting out an indignant squawk as Greninja prodded her in the ribs with Night Slash.

"Nin." The frog's voice was deadpan as he stared at her. The psychic let out a whine, only to be silenced with a glare and another jab.

"Haha..." Ash smiled weakly. "Anyway, some of our old friends have gotten a new makeover, which is what the professor is dying to see. Up front you two."

The two Pokemon ceased their glaring follow his instructions, stepping away from the group in order to make room. Ash reached for his final three Poke Balls. "Heracross, Sceptile, Charizard, come on out!" The aforementioned Pokemon each appeared in a flash of light. While physically, they appeared unchanged, each of them had a gleaming stone strapped to their bodies; much like the accessories Serena was so fond of.

"I see that you look confused," Ash said; gazing at the faces of his Pokemon. "You'll understand in just a minute."

"Are these the Mega Stones?" Professor Oak questioned; eagerly examining the gems strapped to the four Pokemon. "What about the Key Stone? How will you induce the evolution?"

"Right here," Ash grinned; holding up his hand to reveal a black band around his wrist. Attached to the band was a translucent stone that shimmered in the presence of the Mega Stones. Placing his first two fingers against the stone, he watched in gleeful amusement as the five aforementioned Pokemon were each enveloped in a bright, iridescent light; prompting Professor Oak to leap back with a startled yelp.

As the light faded, the Professor and Ash's older Pokemon could only look on in awe. Each of the gathered five had transformed; power radiating off of each of them like the heat from a furnace.

Heracross had grown bulkier and now had orange markings etched upon his exoskeleton. His arms had thickened to the size of tree trunks and his horn had elongated. The Heracronite belt around his waist had been a given to him by Alexa, who'd found the stone somewhere in Santalune Forest while visiting her sister.

Stretching his elongated wings to their fullest extend, Charizard let out a proud roar. His tail had gained armor-plated spikes and his arms had grown sail-like protrusions. Likewise, the Charizardite Y band equipped to his tail had been a gift from Trevor, who'd decided to give up league battles in favor of becoming Professor Sycamore's assistant.

Standing beside him with a lazy expression on his face, Sceptile's head crest had become even more pronounced and his tail had likewise elongated; with a bright red, barbed stinger attached to the tip. His barbed tail was twitching almost unconsciously, as it could be launched at his opponents like a missile. The Sceptilite band around his arm had been given to him by Sawyer after his loss to Ash in the Kalos League.

In the excitement, Gardevoir had once again taken a position on Ash's left side, as was her custom. The Embrace Pokemon's gown had expanded to resemble a bridal dress; turning a deep black and the red crest upon her chest that represented her heart had grown even more prominent which, according to a certain Champion, symbolized her overflowing emotions. The Gardevoirite pendent around her neck had been entrusted to him by Diantha herself; along with the egg that housed the same baby Ralts that stood before them now, fully-evolved.

And of course, there was Greninja, his star Pokemon in the Kalos League. Standing on Ash's other side with his arms crossed, the crest on his head had changed to a pitch-black color, with a bright red streak running through it; greatly resembling Ash's hair and hat. On his back was an enormous Water Shuriken that could be thrown and returned to him at will.

Unique to him, Greninja had no Mega Stone. No one Ash had spoken to quite understood why this was possible. Not even the ninja village Sanpei hailed from understood it entirely. All that was certain was that it required both trainer and Pokemon to be in complete sync. But it was this unknown power that allowed the two of them to go toe-to-toe with a Champion's Pokemon. While is memories of that particular battle were fuzzy, (having passed out just as the battle reached its climax) according to Clemont, Greninja had very nearly defeated Diantha's Gardevoir; an incredible feat in and of itself.

"Incredible," Oak murmured as he examined each of them in detail. "You know, when Augustine first proposed the possibility of Mega Evolution, most of us wrote it off as preposterous. But to see it now, in all its glory… It's humbling, to be honest. There's still so much we don't know. So much we'll probably _never_ know."

"You're telling me," Ash said; shaking his head. "I had trouble believing that they'd discovered a _fairy_ -type of all things. But now here I am, with a fairy-type as one of my powerhouses."

"Yes," the professor turned his attention to his Mega-Gardevoir. "This Gardevoir of yours… I noticed that it is a unique color I've never seen before. I take it that she is shiny, but what I was not expecting was that it would cause such a dramatic change in coloration upon mega evolving."

He emphasized this by gently stroking Gardevoir's long black gown, not noticing the annoyed glare the pyschic-type was currently throwing him.

"Professor Sycamore was pretty shocked too," Ash nodded with a wry grin upon seeing his Pokemon's rapidly growing annoyance. She'd never liked being touched by strangers. "So was Diantha. She was the one who gave her to me as an egg; along with a Gardevoirite."

"A Pokemon bred from Champion-level stock," Oak whistled, as he began his examination even more fervently than before. "Her species is known to bond with their trainers on a psychic level. There's a reason they're known as the Embrace Pokemon. It's no surprise she grew so quickly or that it were able to Mega Evolve so soon after receiving her. Why, I—"

The raven-haired teen had to restrain himself from laughing as Gardevoir finally lost patience with the man's tomfoolery. With a deep breath, the Embrace Pokemon unleashed a deafening cry, sending the professor flying backwards and landing in a comedic heap several yards away.

"Argh! W-What was _that?!_ " Oak cried out, his ears still ringing from the sheer volume of the attack.

"T-That was Hyper Voice." Ash snickered slightly. Pikachu had no such reservations and was openly laughing at the man's misfortune. His other Pokemon merely let out trills of amusement as Gardevoir gave an annoyed huff. Luckily she'd held back by a fair amount. A full-powered attack from a Mega-Gardevoir would have very likely ruptured the Professor's eardrums.

"I-I see!" The Professor said this with a small grin, to which Ash merely shook his head. Professor Oak had always been a bit of a weirdo. I mean, who actually _enjoyed_ getting hit by attacks? "Well, I must say it packs quite a punch!"

"She is one of the strongest," Ash said proudly. And it was true. She'd come a long way from the baby Ralts that only knew how to Teleport. "Of course, all of my Pokemon are strong in their own way." The teen scratched Pikachu behind the ear, earning a coo of affection from the yellow mouse. "It just so happens that only these five are capable of Mega Evolution. Well, the only ones I have Mega Stones for, at least."

"Yes, well; that may not be such a big problem in the future." The professor said, rubbing his ears. "You see, there was a bit of an... incident in the Hoenn region. Someone challenged Steven with a full team of mega-evolved Pokemon. Of course, Steven and his own Megas still came out on top, but the damage caused to the stadium was extensive and the league is considering limiting trainers to only mega evolving one Pokemon per battle."

"Makes sense," Ash shrugged before stretching. "Well, are we done, Professor? Because—"

"Oh, we're not done," Oak said with an ominous smile. "I have quite a few tests I'd like to run with your new Mega Pokemon."

"...Eh?"

* * *

As it turned out, it wasn't until dusk that the professor let him go home. His Pokemon were all too eager to escape from the constant tests and with a farewell wave to his other Pokemon, Ash took his leave.

"I'm home!" The trainer groaned as he stepped through the front door. His mother said something unintelligible from the kitchen area but in his exhausted state, he paid it no heed; merely trudging up the stairs towards his room and collapsing onto his bed.

Minutes later, the sound of snoring reverberated through the house and downstairs, Delia could only roll her eyes with a giggle. "Typical Ash." Covering her son's dinner in plastic wrap, she placed it in the microwave. He would eat whenever he decided to wake up.

Yawning to herself, the woman stretched her limbs. Hmm. Perhaps he had the right idea. A quick nap couldn't hurt, could it?

* * *

Some time later, Ash found his eyes snapping open. Gazing about blearily, he looked for whatever it was that woke him up; only to come up empty. Strange. He was, admittedly, a pretty heavy sleeper.

"You awake, Pikachu?" he called out into the dark. No answer. "Still sleeping, huh?" Standing up, he glanced at the clock, only to find his eyes widening as he quickly focused his attention on it.

It was only 7:00PM in the middle of summer. It should _not_ have been this dark out already. Moving towards the window, he gazed outside to see the entire street shrouded in darkness. It was… unnatural. Unnerving.

"Hey, Pikachu, wake up!" Ash called out. There was no answer. "Pikachu?" The boy grasped wildly for his bedside lamp and flipped the switch.

It didn't turn on.

"What's happening…?" he murmured nervously. Ash fumbled around his room, looking for the door. "Mom? Are you there?" Predictably, there was no answer. Carefully feeling his way down the stairs, he gazed about the living room. There was no light anywhere to be found. The house was silent.

Making his way outside, he saw that the street was likewise dark; the only sound for miles being the violent swaying of trees in the rapidly strengthening wind. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Ash reached for his belt. To his relief, his Poke Balls were still attached.

"Gardevoir, use Flash!" He ordered, releasing his Pokemon. The psychic-type appeared and raised her hands skyward. Within the palms of her hands, a bright orb of light appeared; illuminating the entire street.

And more importantly, the hundreds of eyes gazing upon them. The shadows began to move. ' _No,_ ' Ash thought in horror. ' _Those things from my dream!_ '

Suddenly, one of them lunged at them. "Use Hyper Voice!" he cried. Gardevoir responded immediately, inhaling rapidly before unleashing an ear-splitting cry. obliterating the creature at his command. As one, the remaining shadows began surging forward.

"Charizard, Sceptile, Heracross, Greninja!" Ash called out, releasing each of his Pokmeon.

"Pikapi!"

"Pikachu!" He nearly collapsed in relief at the sight of his oldest Pokemon. "Where were you, buddy? Where's Mom?"

"Chu…" The electric-type shook his head. He didn't know.

"Well," Ash swallowed past a lump forming in this throat. "We can figure it out later. Right now, we need to deal with these things." Pikachu nodded his agreement and turned his attention to the shadows creeping closer and closer; his cheeks sparking. "Thunderbolt!"

"Chuuuuuuuuu!" The rodent cried out as several thousand volts of electricity were unleashed upon them. Whilst effective; it did little to stem the oncoming tide.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" Ash ordered. "Sceptile, Leaf Storm! Heracross, Pin Missile! Gardevoir, Psyshock! Greninja, Water Shuriken!"

The party of Pokemon each unleashed their most powerful ranged attacks, combining their strength to deliver a devastating blow. An enormous explosion wracked the street and sent any remaining shadows scurrying away.

"Alright! Now let's go before—"

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried out.

Ash felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and his body instinctively tense. He spun around just in time to see one of the shadows lunging at him; its claws gleaming in the moonlight. The boy instinctively raised his arms to protect himself and closed his eyes shut; gritting his teeth.

Suddenly, a bright light began emitting from the palms of his hands. The shadowy creature instantly shrunk back as though it were afraid. The Pokemon could only watch in awe as the light began to take shape.

When he felt no pain, Ash warily opened his eyes, only to do a double take at what he saw. "W-What are these?" In his hands were two incredibly strange weapons. The one in his right hand was white and blue in color. It had two white angel wings for a hand-guard. Its shaft held two hearts and the teeth of the blade were ornately designed into the kanji for 'hikari'. _L_ _ight_. A key-chain with the a star that resembled the charm he received in his dream was attached to the pommel.

In his left hand was a vaguely similar weapon. This time, however, the hand-guard was comprised of two black bat-like wings extending downward. The shaft was deep black and the teeth were designed into the kanji for 'yami'. _Darkness_. Attached to the pommel was a key-chain in the shape of a black crown.

In the back of his mind, Ash noted that each of them was beautiful in its own right. And although he had never seen them before in his life, they felt… right. Like they belonged with him. As he raised the two weapons into a defensive posture, he felt the charm around his neck start to grow warm. Almost as though reassuring him that everything would be alright.

There was no more time to think on the matter, as the creatures once again began creeping closer. Turning towards his stunned Pokemon, he spoke in a clear, confident voice. "They're coming. There's no time to explain. I'm not even sure what's going on myself. But from now on, we're fighting side-by-side. I won't be able to give you orders the same way I did before. Trust in your instincts. I'll be relying on you to support me and vice versa. Understand?"

Although confused, they each nodded; gazing at the blades curiously. Turning his attention back to the oncoming horde of shadows, Ash readied himself. As one of them lunged at him, he slashed it clean in half with his white blade before pivoting and slashing yet another with his black blade. Just like in his dream, the movements came to him naturally; as though he'd been using these weapons for years beforehand.

Exactly _how_ this was possible, Ash wasn't certain but he wasn't about to complain; despite the timing being _awfully_ convenient.

In front of him, Heracross rammed into a group of them with a Megahorn attack before Focus Punching another clear across the street. A spout of fire from above told him that Charizard had taken to the sky. The fire-type let loose a bellowing roar as it unleashed a flurry of flames upon the shadowy horde.

From the rooftops, Greninja and Sceptile were taking turns dashing through them with Night Slash and Leaf Blade; leaving nothing but dissolving bodies in their wake. And beside him, Pikachu and Gardevoir guarded his back with a more defensive approach; destroying anything that got too close.

In almost no time at all, their enemies had been defeated and the six Pokmeon and one trainer were left standing in an empty street; the only available light coming from Charizard's tail flame and the weak moonlight streaming down from above.

"Just what in the world is going on here?" Ash murmured.

"Pikapi…" Pikachu said softly.

"I know." The boy shook his head. "I'm worried too." He turned towards his Pokemon. "Sceptile, Greninja. You two are the fastest. I want you to search the houses for any signs of life or disturbance. If you see any more of those things, _run_. Do _not_ engage. Meet up back at Professor Oak's lab. Understand?"

"Sceptile."

"Nin."

The two nodded their understanding and took to the rooftops once more. Turning towards his sole fire-type Pokemon, Ash continued. "Charizard, cover them from the air. You're strong. If things start looking ugly, carry them back yourself."

The dragon-like Pokemon let out a low, rumbling growl and took to the air; circling above the town once he'd reached a desirable altitude. Ash stared after him for a few moments before returning his attention to his remaining Pokemon.

"The rest of you are with me," he said. "Gardevoir, can you teleport us to the lab?" The dual psychic/fairy-type nodded and raised her hands skyward once again. Before Ash even realized what had happened, he found himself staring at the interior to Professor Oak's mansion.

"I'll never get used to that," Ash murmured; shaking his head. He cleared his throat. "Professor Oak? Are you here?" He slowly made his way towards the lab area; waiting to hear a response. "Professor, there's something wrong with the town. My mom is missing! Hello?"

There was no reply and Ash felt his hopes drop. "...Gardevoir, can you detect anyone here? The Professor? His assistants? My Pokemon?" The psychic-type's eyes glowed white for several moments before fading away. She shook her head. "Thought so…"

Suddenly, Pikachu's ears twitched. "Pi…?" Without warning, the mouse began running further into the house.

"Wha— Pikachu, where are you going?!"

"Pika!" The electric-type replied without stopping. Feeling hopeful, Ash raced after him. The party ran through the silent laboratory for several minutes; the only sounds echoing through the halls being his footfalls and the buzzing of Heracross's wings as he flew after them.

Eventually, Pikachu led them to a half-opened door. From within, they could hear a voice murmuring quietly to itself. "Professor?" Ash called out as he cautiously opened the door. "Is that—"

There was no one in the room and the teen once again felt his hopes plummet. Just where _was_ everyone?! It turned out the voice had been coming from a computer. It was Professor Oak's voice, but it was clear that it was a simple recording.

" _-ave won the Kalos League had Team Flare not interrupted. He has even mastered Mega Evolution! The boy truly has come far since he first left Pallet Town…_ "

"...Why was this left on?" Ash wondered as he walked towards the computer. The date read that it had only been recorded today a few scant hours ago.

"Pi," Pikachu shrugged. Ash glanced at the computer one last time before sighing.

"Well, we should probably go find Greninja and the others," he said. As he made to turn around, however, the computer resumed playing.

" _...Something is terribly wrong._ " Professor Oak's voice sounded grave. Ash raised an eyebrow and returned his attention to the screen. " _The Pokemon are all incredibly agitated. It's just like the incident on Shamouti Island five years ago. Pokemon as a whole seem to be deeply attuned with the inner workings of the world. Far more than humans, at any rate. What could possibly incite such a reaction?_ "

"The Pokemon were acting up?" Ash questioned. He turned towards his own Pokemon. "Did you guys feel this too?"

Gardevoir and Heracross both glanced at each other before nodding. Pikachu nodded vigorously and made some enthusiastic gestures. "Pika pi pikachu!"

"...That's why you weren't there when I woke up, wasn't it?" Ash asked. "You were trying to figure out what's wrong."

"Chu." The mouse nodded.

" _Whatever is happening, it's getting worse!_ " The recording continued; the Professor's voice sounding noticeably distressed. " _The Pokemon are panicking. It's all we can do to keep them— ARGH! The Poke Balls! Get them in their—_ "

A loud, bellowing roar suddenly broke through the ambient noise; causing all of them to flinch. It took several moments for Ash to realize that it hadn't come from the computer.

"That's Charizard!" he exclaimed in alarm. Wasting no time, he dashed out of the room towards the back door and arrived just in time to see his fire-type landing with Greninja and Sceptile in tow. "Guys, what happened?"

"Nin, ninja!" the frog Pokemon said frantically; gesturing towards the town. Following his gaze, Ash felt his heart stop.

The entirety of Pallet Town had been engulfed in darkness. Hundreds upon thousands of beady yellow eyes gazed back at him; a veritable tide of shadow washing over his hometown. His life.

"H-How are we supposed to fight _that…_?" Ash whispered; his knees buckling.

 **Don't lose hope.**

"Speak for yourself!" the teen snapped; prompting his Pokemon to turn to him in concern. "Those things took everything! How are we supposed to fight them?!"

 **The light will find a way.**

Once again, he felt the charm around his neck grow warm as feelings of reassurance flooded through him.

 **The closer you get to the light…**

"...the greater my shadow becomes…" Ash whispered. He closed his eyes and focused. Remember how it felt… In a flash of light, the two mysterious blades once again appeared in his hands.

 **You are chosen by the Keyblade.**

"The Keyblade…?" he muttered. "...the mightiest weapon of all?"

"Pika?" Pikachu questioned; gazing at him in concern.

"It's alright, buddy," Ash said with a small smile. "You guys ready for one last fight?"

Charizard let loose a burst of flames as he roared in agreement. Heracross bumped his fists together in anticipation while Sceptile scoffed; offended that he even needed to ask. Greninja simply nodded while Gardevoir gave him an elegant bow.

"Pikachu!" His oldest companion pumped his fist; sparks flying from his cheeks. Ash chuckled at their exuberance even in the face of such staggering odds. His Pokemon were always ready to go the extra mile. And this time, he would be right alongside them.

"Alright, then!" Ash roared; placing a finger against his Key Stone. "Let's go!" In a blinding flash of light, five of his Pokemon Mega-Evolved as they each let loose a bellowing war cry. As Ash charged forward, the six Pokemon proudly followed him into the oncoming tide of shadows.

And just a few moments later, all he saw was darkness.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, guys. Sorry for the delay. Those who've been checking in know that my health has been declining as of late. Thankfully, I'm starting to recover, so I should hopefully be able to resume writing.**

 **So, yeah. I took some creative liberties with this chapter. The original was painfully short. so I thought it wouldn't hurt to expand upon it a bit since this chapter isn't really important in the grand scheme of things.**

 **Gardevoir kinda comes out of left field. Don't worry about it. She was based off my Gardevoir that I caught back in the original Sapphire. My first ever shiny! She's been with me ever since and is currently sitting in my Alpha Sapphire party xD**

 **Originally, she was just supposed to have a cameo, but her role ended up getting expanded upon when I expanded the chapter as a whole. Did you guys like the extended appearance of Ash's Pokemon?**

 **And most importantly, should they appear later in the story? They won't really play a part in the main story, but I can have them show up in Hollow Bastion or something like that.**

 **I'll start a poll on my profile.**

 **Anyway, I thank you for your time. Thanks for reading!**

 **\- Your King**


	3. Aqua - Reconstructed

**Chapter 3: Aqua - Reconstructed**

* * *

"AGH!" Ash awoke with a shout. Gazing about in a panic, he once again found himself upon a stained-glass pillar. This time, however, instead of one of his friends, he was surprised to find his own visage imprinted upon the platform.

"Pikachu?" the boy called out nervously into the eerie darkness surrounding the pillar. "Charizard? Sceptile? ...Anyone?"

"I'm afraid your friends aren't here," a vaguely familiar voice called out to him. Feeling himself stiffen at the unexpected intrusion, Ash spun around to see a blue-haired girl standing across from him.

Now, while this was hardly the strangest thing to happen to him as of late, Ash could only eye her suspiciously. "...And who are you?" he demanded. "Where am I? And what the _heck_ is happening?!"

The girl raised a hand; prompting him to sigh and run an aggravated hand through his hair. When he had finally calmed down somewhat, the girl smiled. "My name is Aqua," she said. "As for your other two questions… well… That's a little harder to explain."

"Well, I'm not exactly going anywhere," Ash said pointedly; gesturing to the endless darkness surrounding them. Aqua giggled in response.

"True. True." She said with a smile. "Well… Let's start at the beginning."

"A very good place to start."

"Quiet, you!" The girl admonished; though his quip was awarded with another smile. "Your body is currently asleep as it's being transported."

"...Asleep." Ash repeated; raising an eyebrow at her. "...So, I'm dreaming right now? None of this is real and you're just a figment of an overactive imagination? I'll wake up in my bed and everything will be back to normal?"

Though he intended it to be a small joke, it came out more as a desperate plea. His hopes were dashed, however, when Aqua shook her head.

"Just because you're dreaming doesn't make this any less real," she said solemnly. "This place you see," she gestured to the platform. "is your heart. Or a representation of it, if you will."

"My heart…?" the raven-haired teen murmured; his brow furrowing. "But then… Wait a minute…! Your voice… I recognize it! You were the voice from my dream!"

"Yes," Aqua said with a small smile. "I was the one who helped you during your Awakening."

"My Awakening?"

"Your dream." She elaborated. "It is the trial that all Keyblade wielders must brave in order to unlock their true potential."

"Keyblade…" Ash murmured. Turning his gaze downward, he tried to remember the sensation of summoning the two strange weapons. His efforts were rewarded when they appeared in his hands in a flash of light and a cloud of darkness respectively.

"T-Two?" Aqua stammered; taken aback.

"Judging by your reaction, I'm guessing that this isn't normal?" the boy asked sheepishly.

"N-No!" she exclaimed; shaking her head furiously. "To be honest, I've never even heard of someone naturally dual wielding Keyblades before." Aqua once again shook her head. "Amazing… I guess you really are the Chosen One."

"How do you know about that?" Ash asked; raising an eyebrow at her as he dismissed his weapons.

"I was told by a stranger wearing a red cloak," she explained. "In fact, he was the one who told me to contact you and showed me how to do it."

"...And did he give you a name?" he questioned; feeling slightly unnerved.

"Unfortunately, no," Aqua admitted before shaking her head with a sigh. "And he disappeared almost as quickly has he showed up."

"Great…" Ash grumbled; releasing a sigh of his own. He moved to run a hand through his hair in irritation, but felt his arm being impeded by something cold and metallic. Confused, he glanced to his left and was shocked to see a maroon, pauldron-like armor piece extending from his shoulder to mid-bicep.

"What the heck?!" He exclaimed; cocking his head in order to more clearly examine the maroon-colored pauldron.

"Ah, you noticed!" Aqua giggled.

"What is this thing?"

"Let's say it's a gift from me to you," the girl said. She gestured to the armor in question. "Here. Try activating it. Tap your right fist into it and focus the same way you do when summoning your Keyblades, but this time focus on your shoulder-piece."

Nervously, Ash complied with her request and slammed his fist into the pauldron. Suddenly, he found his vision flooded with white light and let out a startled yelp as he instinctively closed his eyes. When nothing adverse happened, the boy slowly re-opened his eyes to find himself staring through what appeared to be a visor of sorts; similar to the kind the police wore when donning riot suits.

"Whoa…!" Ash mumbled, gazing about in wonderment. It kind of reminded him of those superhero movies he once watched with Iris and Cilan while he was traveling through Unova. _Steel Man_ or something along those lines.

"Over here!" Aqua snapped her fingers to bring his attention back to her. "Is it working properly? It's my first time making something like this. You should be seeing some information streaming across your vision."

In front of his eyes, the blue-haired girl's face was highlighted by a green square. Various details appeared and began to stream across his vision such as her name (Aqua), age (sixteen), gender (female), and current disposition (friendly - indicated by the color green. Presumably, hostiles would be tagged as red). Along with other details such as relative distance (five feet away).

"This is pretty cool," Ash admitted.

"Isn't it?" she asked with a grin. "That armor is given to apprentices by their masters. It will protect you as you travel between worlds and allows you to breathe in space. And the heads-up-display (HUD) will come in handy when you're traveling at high speeds."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ash held up a hand, which he noted was now encased in a deep, maroon-colored gauntlet. In fact, his entire body was now clad in a matching set of armor. "Space? Worlds? What the heck are you talking about?"

"Ah, right," Aqua said; grimacing slightly. "Now we get to the real nitty gritty." She shook her head with a small sigh. "Ash… You remember those creatures you fought, right?"

How could he not? The image of their hideous forms and venomous eyes would forever be imprinted in his memory. Silently, he nodded.

"They're what are known as Heartless," she explained. "They are the physical manifestations of people who have been taken by darkness; lacking a body or soul..."

"So, those… Heartless came from the residents' hearts?"

"No… Well, in a sense," Aqua admitted. "But they were after something else. Something bigger." She turned her gaze up and met his eyes head-on. "They were after _you_."

"M-Me?!" Ash squeaked; the armor encasing his body disappearing in a flash of light. "W-Why me?"

"The Heartless fear the Keyblade," she explained solemnly. "They were after your heart. To eliminate you before you became a threat."

"They were after me…?" the boy repeated softly. "So… everything that happened… was because of me?"

"You can't think like that, Ash," Aqua said sternly. "The Heartless are obsessed with devouring worlds and consuming the hearts of its people. They would have come eventually. Your presence merely sped up the process."

"But _why?_ " Ash asked hopelessly; nearly collapsing as he slowly sat down. "Why me? What is the point of even _having_ a Keyblade?"

"The Keyblade chooses its wielder based on the strength of their heart," Aqua said as she knelt down; gently reaching out and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. She graced him with a small smile. "And from what I've seen, you have a very strong heart, Ash."

The raven-haired teen met her eyes and smiled weakly in return. "Thanks," he murmured.

"Of course," the girl said sweetly and the two sat in silence. Neither party said anything for several moments.

"...Er… Aqua…?" Ash spoke up somewhat awkwardly.

"Yes?"

"Y-You can let go now." The girl looked at him in confusion before realizing just how close the two of them were. She was nearly on top of him for goodness' sake!

Squeaking slightly, she leapt back as if she'd just touched scalding water. "S-Sorry!" Aqua exclaimed; her cheeks beginning to glow a rosy color. Ash merely nodded; his face equally red.

"S-So," Ash coughed. "T-The Keyblade?"

"Ah, y-yes!" The blue-haired girl cleared her throat; her flushing starting to die down. "He who wields the Keyblade is entrusted with the protection of all worlds. A guardian of the galaxy, if you will."

"So… I'm a space cop?" The boy questioned; raising an eyebrow at her.

"...I would't exactly describe it like that but... yes, I suppose," Aqua said awkwardly. "But you really aren't supposed to interfere too deeply in regards to the different worlds. Serve and protect, yes. But it's generally frowned upon to involve oneself with a world's laws and government…" She paused before adding under her breath, "...Not that there's anyone to _do_ the frowning anymore..."

"So, if I can't interfere, then what am I supposed to do exactly?"

Returning her attention to him, she explained. "Well, I'm not saying you _can't_ ," Aqua admitted. "The Keyblade's purpose is to maintain order and balance. Light cannot exist without darkness and vice versa. However, whenever someone threatens to overthrow that balance, action must be taken. If that means interfering with a world's governing body, then so be it."

"Okay…" he mumbled. "So, how many worlds are there? Eight? Nine?"

"Hundreds."

" _WHAT?_ " Ash nearly choked on his own saliva as he cried out. Aqua giggled and raised her hand.

"Calm down," she said with a grin. "You're not alone in your endeavors. There _are_ others who wield the Keyblade, y'know."

"Really?"

Nodding, Aqua raised her right hand and in a flash of light materialized a gray Keyblade with a simple square hand-guard and teeth in the shape of an 'E'.

"Y-You?" Ash exclaimed. "Wait… You said this armor is given to apprentices by their masters, so that means…" Aqua brandished her Keyblade and gave him a mock salute.

"Master Aqua, at your service." She said; grinning at the stupefied look on his face.

"Er, s-sorry for any disrespect, Master," the teen said nervously. The girl merely giggled in response.

"Just call me Aqua," she insisted. "I've always hated going by that title."

"Right…" Ash nodded; rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "So, Aqua… Earlier, you said that my body was being transported or something…"

"Yes," Aqua said. "It's being taken to a different world. I don't know who it is transporting you, but their presence doesn't seem to be hostile."

"Wait, so it's not you?" he questioned; taken aback. "Where _are_ you anyway? Assuming that this isn't your physical body."

The blue-haired girl shook her head with a sigh; smiling sadly as she did. "I'm trapped in the Realm of Darkness."

Ash blinked. "The… Realm of Darkness?" he parroted. He wasn't entirely sure what that was, but it certainly didn't sound very good. "How did you get there? Why are you trapped?"

"I took my friend's place," she said simply. "My friend… He was falling into darkness, but instead of allowing that to happen, I chose to sacrifice myself to save him. Now, I'm here."

"But… if there's a way in, there _has_ to be a way out."

"If there is, I haven't found it yet," Aqua said with a wry smile. "I don't know _how_ long I've been trapped here. It could be days. It could be years."

Ash merely stared at her for several moments. "...Aqua?"

"Hmm?"

"I'll get you out," he said; his eyes glinting in determination. "I'll definitely save you!"

"Ash…" She simply shook her head and it was clear she didn't really believe that. Regardless, she smiled slightly. "...Thank you."

The raven-haired teen clenched his fist and gazed up at the inky black sky. "I _will_ get you out of the Realm of Darkness," he repeated, glancing back down to meet her eyes. "I promise."

Aqua just kept smiling. "I'll be waiting." Suddenly, she sat up. "It looks like our time is up."

"Huh?" Ash gazed up at her confusedly as she stood and hastily scrambled to his feet to join her.

"Your body is waking up," she elaborated.

"Wait, but what about you?" he exclaimed.

"Like I said," Aqua smiled at him one last time. "I'll be waiting. You have a long journey ahead of you. And if you ever feel lost…" She reached into a small pouch at her side and retrieved something.

Ash blinked in surprise as she held up a charm identical to his own, only blue in color. "T-That's…!" Suddenly, everything began to grow hazy and Aqua's voice began to drift farther and farther away.

"Just remember that we're connected." Aqua's voice said gently. "We'll see each other again soon."

"Aqua?" Ash shouted; desperately grasping through the growing darkness. "Aqua!"

"I'll always be close by… Just don't forget..."

" _AQUA!_ "

"We are connected."

* * *

 **A/N: Ash _is_ Iron Man. xD**

 **I changed Ash's armor from silver to maroon to match with the color of his pendant as well as the color usually associated with him (red). According to Auriansmule, the only reason he made it silver in the first place was because he thought it sounded cool at the time. So, voila: Iron Man!Ash. (I'm kidding of course. He's still a medieval knight like Aqua and the rest.)**


	4. Twilight Town - Revisited

**Chapter 4: Twilight Town - Revisited**

* * *

"— _ke up…_ "

Who— What…?

"— _wake up!"_

Aqua? Is that _—_

" _Ash, it's time to wake up!_ " An unfamiliar voice echoed in the back of his head.

"Who's there…?" The boy tried to ask, but it came out more as a slurred moan.

"Gawrsh do ya think he's okay?" A different voice — distinctly masculine this time — asked in concern.

"I don't know." Another, raspy voice said. This one sounded distinctly annoyed. "Just like the five other times you asked."

Ash groaned as he slowly opened his eyes to see two blurry figures standing in front of him. "Hey, I think he's wakin' up!" the first voice exclaimed.

"Who's there?" Ash repeated his initial question as he gazed out through bleary eyes. As his vision slowly came into focus, he had to rub his eyes to make sure they weren't deceiving him.

"You okay?" A dog-like being asked kindly. It… _He_ was dressed smartly with a green turtleneck, baggy yellow pants and a hat. A large round shield was strapped to his back. Standing beside him was a duck-like being wearing a blue vest and hat. He carried a short staff in his right hand as he crossed his arms and tapped his foot, looking very impatient.

"Did you hear him?" The duck demanded. "He asked if you were okay."

"Er… Y-Yeah," the teen said with a nervous chuckle. He glanced at his surroundings to find himself in a metallic room lined with large pods big enough to house a person. In fact, he himself was currently inside one of these very pods, reclined back for comfort.

He pushed himself up and out of the pod, very nearly tumbling to the ground if not for the dog-being catching him. "Easy does it," the dog said with a grin.

"Thanks… er…"

"Ah," he seemed to realize the problem. "The name's Goofy! This here's my pal, Donald Duck!"

"I'm Ash," The black-haired boy nodded with a small smile. "Ash Ketchum."

"Nice ta meet'cha, Ash!" Goofy said, shaking his hand vigorously. Ash found himself rocking back and forth from the sheer strength behind the dog's handshake.

"Goofy, you're gonna pop his arm right out of its socket," Donald said with an annoyed rise in his voice.

"Oops!" The clutzy dog chuckled sheepishly as he released his hold on the poor trainer. "Sorry!"

"It's fine," Ash laughed, rubbing his shoulder. "I'm used to it. My Pokemon usually…" His eyes widened. "My Pokemon!"

"Gesundheit."

"No, no!" The teen glancing around frantically. "My Pokemon — my _friends_! Where are they?!"

"You lost your friends?" For the first time since their introduction, Donald's eyes softened.

"That's terrible!" Goofy cried.

Ash ignored them for the time being as he reached towards his belt. Retrieving one of his Poke Balls, he enlarged it before pressing the release button. "Gardevoir!"

Nothing happened.

"No…" Ash retrieved another one. "Charizard!" Again, nothing happened. "Sceptile! Greninja! Heracross! PIKACHU!"

"Hey, calm down," Donald said, patting him on the arm since his shoulder was out of reach. "Where was the last place you saw them?"

"In Pallet Town," The boy said with a grimace. "We… We were fighting the Heartless."

"The Heartless?!" The duck flinched back in shock.

"I remember my vision going black…" Ash continued before pausing. "And then I ended up here; my Pokemon nowhere to be found." He finished, deciding not to mention his encounter with Aqua.

"If you're here…" Goofy mumbled. "Does that mean your world was consumed by the Heartless?"

"Consumed…" Ash repeated the word with a grimace. "So, Aqua was right… My world is… gone…"

"Hey, everything will be fine!" Donald quickly piped in, seeing hopelessness starting to form on Ash's face. "Just because a world is lost doesn't mean we can't get it back!"

The raven-haired teen's head snapped towards him. "Really?"

"Yeah!" Goofy said enthusiastically. "Me and Donald have done it before. I'm sure we could get your world back!"

"We'll help you find your friends too," Donald nodded. "When a world is lost, the residents that the Heartless haven't gotten to are sent to Hub Worlds like Traverse Town or Hollow Bastion. I'm sure we'll find them there."

Ash just stared at them in mute shock for several moments. "Y-You'll really help me? Why? You don't even know me."

"Do we need a reason to help someone?" Goofy asked, puffing his chest out pridefully. "We're the king's most trusted vassals. We can't just ignore someone that needs help!"

"To tell you the truth, we're looking for a friend of ours too," Donald explained sheepishly. "We think he should be nearby though. If you can help us find him, he'll definitely want to help you."

Ash continued to stare at them, a warm smile making its way onto his face. "Donald… Goofy… Thank you."

"You bet'cha!" Goofy exclaimed, throwing him a thumbs-up.

"So, we just have to find your friend," the teen began. "What's his name? What's he look like?"

"His name is Sora," Donald explained. "He has spiky brown hair and wears a red jumpsuit. He also has—"

"Over-sized, banana yellow shoes?" Ash supplied. The two animal-beings glanced at him in surprise.

"Yeah! How'd ya know?" Goofy asked with a flabbergasted look on his face. Ash merely pointed behind them. The duo spun around to see a giant pod with said boy floating inside; a somewhat dopey expression on his face.

"Sora!" Donald exclaimed.

"There ya are!" Goofy chuckled.

Ash merely sweatdropped as the two of them dashed towards the pod. ' _Can I really rely on these guys to help me?_ '

* * *

The trainer watched in amusement as the brown-haired boy known as Sora was dog-piled by the two anthropomorphic animals. "Donald! Goofy!" The boy laughed. "Get off!"

The two did so, allowing Sora to finally catch sight of the newcomer. "Oh, who's this?"

"That's right!" Donald exclaimed. "Sora, this is Ash. His world… well… It fell to the Heartless."

"Oh… Oh!" Sora's eyes widened before growing sympathetic. "I'm sorry. I know what it's like. My world was lost too."

"But… you got it back though, right?" Ash questioned, a determined look on his face. Sora saw this and grinned at him.

"Sure did," he said confidently. "It wasn't easy, but it's definitely possible!"

"Sora," Goofy spoke up. "We promised Ash we would help him."

"I'm looking for my friends," the trainer explained quietly. "We… We were separated when our world fell."

If possible, Sora's eyes grew even more sympathetic. "That's… I know what that's like too." He said. "I… Well, I'm still looking, if I'm being honest."

"That's not exactly reassuring," Ash said jokingly, but even to Sora it sounded forced. They were quiet for several moments before the brown-haired boy looked up defiantly.

"We'll definitely find them!" He said, clenching his fist. "Riku and the King… And your friends too, Ash!"

"Well said!" A new voice piped in. Ash watched in surprise as what appeared to be a cricket wearing a suit and tophat hopped onto Sora's shoulder. "Hello there. I'm terribly sorry, I couldn't help but overhear."

"Jiminy!" Sora exclaimed.

"Indeed," the cricket chuckled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ash. My name is Jiminy Cricket. I serve as a chronicler for Sora and the gang."

"Chroni— What?" Ash's brow furrowed in confusion.

"He keeps a diary of our adventures," Sora explained with a sagely nod.

"It most certainly is _not_ a diary!" Jiminy cried, an affronted look on his face. "I'll have you know that a good portion of the king's library was penned by yours truly!"

"That's a lot of diaries," Ash said with an impressed look on his face.

"It's not— Oh, fine. Call it what you will." Jiminy gave an exasperated sigh. "But it appears that I'll be chronicling your adventures as well, Ash. Would you mind terribly if I asked some basic questions? Like where you come from and such."

"Er, okay…"

"Splendid!" The cricket exclaimed as he opened a tiny journal. "Let me just find a blank page… Wait… What's this? I don't remember writing this…?"

"What's it say?" Goofy asked curiously.

"It just says, ' _Thank Naminé'_."

Ash froze as a wellspring of emotions suddenly surged through him before fading just as quickly as it came. ' _Wh— What was that?!_ '

"Ash!" Sora's voice brought him back to reality as he turned towards the concerned gazes of his new friends. "You okay?"

"Do you know who Naminé is, Ash?" Jiminy questioned.

"N-No," he said honestly. "It… well… It seems familiar, but I'm pretty sure I'd remember meeting someone named Naminé."

"Déjà vu, eh? Ah, well." The cricket sighed before glancing at his surroundings. "Well, what do you say we go find out where we are?"

"You guys don't know?" Ash exclaimed in surprise.

Donald shook his head. "No. The first thing I remember is waking up in the pod and finding you and Goofy."

"Well, let's go find out!" Sora said. Ash merely shrugged.

"Sure." He suddenly smirked. "That is, so long as Sora can avoid tripping over his own shoes."

"Hey!" The brown-haired teen cried out indignantly as the others laughed at his expense. "Why does everyone always make fun of the shoes?!"

* * *

It had taken them some time to find their way out of the mansion they'd woken up in. It was already sunset by the time they ventured outside and into town. Though for all Ash knew, they could have woken up an hour before sunset.

The party of four (five if you were to count Jiminy) made their way through the charming streets of a small town and eventually found themselves at the mouth of an alleyway.

"Y'know," Sora spoke up as a clock tower rang in the distance. "I think I've _been_ to this town."

Ash took a moment to gaze at the buildings glowing in the early evening light and found himself nodding unconsciously. "It _does_ look familiar..." he mumbled.

"What's it called?" Donald asked curiously. The two boys glanced at each other and shrugged.

"Déjà vu again?" Goofy questioned. Ash smiled apologetically while Sora merely shrugged once more.

"Maybe those pods messed with us more than we thought," the boy said as he pushed past a tarp, revealing a hidden alcove. Immediately, they were met with the gazes of several teenagers. Ash felt himself tense as a wiry blond boy glared at them.

"What do you want?" the blond growled and Ash found himself glaring right back at him.

"N-Nothing!" Sora exclaimed, seeing the anger on his newest companion's face. "We were just wondering what's back here."

"Well now you know," the other boy snapped. "This is _our_ spot."

"What's _your_ problem?" Ash growled in return just as a brunet boy approached them, raising his hands placatingly.

"Please ignore him. He's not usually like this." The boy said sheepishly. "You guys new in town? I'm Pence."

The blond boy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Hayner." He said gruffly. "And sorry. I'm just in a bad mood now." He shook his head and began making for the exit. "Nice to meet you and all, but we've got stuff to do. Catch you later."

Pence watched his retreating back with an exasperated look on his face. The final teen, a girl, walked up to them with a friendly smile.

"Hi, my name's Olette," she said with a small wave. "Did you guys finish up the summer homework? Independent studies are the worst, am I right?"

"Right… homework…" Sora said grimly, sharing a look with Ash. Both boys shuddered at the mere thought.

"So what're your names?" Pence asked curiously.

"Oh!" Goofy exclaimed and pointed each of them out as he introduced them. "We're Sora, Ash, Donald and Goofy!" he finished, gesturing to himself with a wide grin.

The two teens shared a look, apparently recognizing their names. "Sora, Ash, Donald, Goofy," Olette said. "We _just_ met someone who was looking for you."

"Wait, _me_ too?" Ash blurted out.

"Sure was," Pence nodded. "He seemed to be in a real hurry too. He was wearing this black cloak, so I couldn't see his face. And he had these _big_ round ears." The boy enunciated his speech by placing his hands against his head, as though mimicking animal ears.

The party stared at him in confusion for several moments before something clicked in Donald's head. "The King!" he exclaimed.

"That sounds like him alright!" Sora said excitedly.

"King?" Ash repeated. "You mentioned him a few times already. Who is he?"

"King Mickey!" Goofy explained. "You'll know him when you see him. If he's looking for you too then maybe he knows something about your—"

"Where did you see him?" Sora quickly butt in as Donald smacked Goofy's head with his staff.

" _Ix nay_ on the _orld way!_ " He hissed. The dog quickly covered his mouth and chuckled sheepishly.

"At the station," Olette answered Sora's question, though not without giving them a strange look.

"The station…" Sora repeated, grinning slightly. "Got it. Thanks!"

"No problem," Pence said, matching his grin.

"Well, better get back to that assignment," Olette said, sending them a wink before walking off after Hayner with Pence in tow.

"Oh, boy!" Donald shouted giddily. "The King's looking for us!"

"But… what does he want with _me…_?" Ash murmured.

"Whatever it is, it must be important," Goofy assured him. Sora nodded

"Yeah! So let's not keep him waiting. To the station!" Sora spun around and walked off before pausing. "...Where _is_ the station?"

Ash shrugged while Donald simply facepalmed.

* * *

"That… took longer than it should have," Sora admitted as the quartet approached the train station.

"I knew there was a reason Brock was always our navigator…" Ash murmured before glancing up at the sign hanging over the station entrance. "Welcome to Twilight Town." He read aloud, prompting the others to follow his gaze. "Twilight Town… Why does that sound so… familiar…"

"Yeah…" Sora mumbled.

"Okay, what's going on with you two?" Donald demanded, crossing his arms. "You've been acting weird all day."

"I—" Ash froze as a familiar sound reached his ears. He spun around and saw the same silvery-white creatures that had attacked him in his dream. "Wha— Are those Heartless?!"

"It's not a Heartless I've ever seen before," Sora said, watching the creatures warily. Donald and Goofy pulled out their respective weapons as they watched the standoff cautiously.

Suddenly, one of the creatures lunged at them. Ash was about to yell for Sora to watch out, but the brown-haired boy summoned a familiar key-shaped weapon out of nowhere and slashed the creature in half.

Donald and Goofy reacted instantaneously. The dog rushed forward, barelling his way through the mob with his shield while Donald picked off the stunned creatures with some kind of electric attack.

But Ash's gaze was fixed on Sora. Or more specifically, the weapon in his hands. ' _A Keyblade…_ ' So focused was he on his companion, he didn't notice one of the creatures slowly creeping up behind him.

"Ash, watch out!" Sora shouted.

The raven-haired teen stiffened before leaning out of the way of the creature's attack. He pivoted on his heel while simultaneously summoning his Keyblades and with a quick slash, the creature was no more.

"No way…" Sora whispered.

"A Keyblade?!" Donald shouted.

"No! Two of them!" Goofy said in awe.

Ash merely grinned at them. "What do you guys say we take out the trash?" Sora blinked for a moment before returning the grin.

"Let's do it!" he said enthusiastically just as the creatures charged at them once more. The party broke off into pairs. Donald and Goofy took the right flank while Sora and Ash took the left.

As they fought, Ash found himself being drawn to Sora's fighting style. To say he was impressed was putting it mildly. The brown-haired boy was on another level. Despite his newfound skill (which Ash _still_ had no idea where it came from), it didn't change the fact that he'd never used a sword until a few days ago at best. While he was certainly fit — a product of a life on the road — he simply did not possess the muscle strength necessary for sustained combat.

And it showed as he began flagging as the fight dragged on.

"You okay, Ash?" Sora asked with a touch of concern as the four of them found themselves surrounded.

"It's just…" The raven-haired teen panted, sweat dripping down his brow. "There's so _many_ of them."

"They just don't seem to stop, huh?" The brunet chuckled tiredly. "Man… How long were we asleep in those pods for? I can't believe how rusty I am."

' _This is him while rusty?!_ ' Ash stared at him incredulously. ' _Dear Arceus, what was he like in his prime?!._ '

More of the creatures suddenly appeared, doubling the surrounding horde. "Oh, give me a break!" Sora grunted as he very nearly slumped in defeat. One of the creatures lunged at them and just as Ash was about to lose hope, a figured suddenly leaped down from above them and slashed the creature in half.

Before Ash even realized what was happening, the horde of creatures had been destroyed and standing before them was a cloaked figure wielding a Keyblade.

"Your Majesty?!" Donald exclaimed, only to be shushed by the person in question.

"You guys gotta leave — Now." The King ordered in a hushed tone. "The train knows the way." He reached into his cloak and retrieved a bulging pouch before tossing to Sora. "Go. Quickly."

"Your Majesty," Ash spoke up. "About my world…"

"There's no time for that." The King said urgently before pausing. "I'm sorry. I promise that everything will make sense in time. But for now, you need to get on that train."

And then, he was gone just as suddenly as he appeared. The quartet glanced around in shock for a moment. "W-Was that really him?" Sora asked, staring at the spot the king had just been standing in.

"It _must_ have been!" Goofy said confidently.

"At least now we know he's okay," Donald said with a relieved smile. Sora frowned for a moment.

"The King was locked in the Realm of Darkness with Riku, right?" he murmured, causing Ash to glance at him sharply.

"The Realm of Darkness?" The raven-haired teen repeated, vividly remembering the look of loneliness on Aqua's face.

"But we saw him just now…" Sora continued, his brow furrowed in thought. "And if the King's here, that must mean Riku's here!"

"Again, what?" Ash piped in, a confused frown making its way onto his face.

"He's gotta be!" Donald exclaimed while Ash just sighed. "Sorry, Ash. We'll explain everything later."

"We have our first lead," Sora said confidently. "The King is safe and sound. Now we just have to find Riku."

"Don't forget about Ash's friends too," Goofy reminded him.

"Right!" Sora pumped his fist. "Looks like we've got another journey ahead of us, guys!"

"All for one…" Donald held his hand out. Sora and Goofy placed their hands on top of it. They paused for a moment before turning to their newest companion.

"C'mon, Ash!" Goofy urged him. "Yer part of the team now!"

"Yeah, no more frowning!" Donald piped in. "Only happy smiles on this team!"

"You're one of us now, Ash!" Sora said with a grin. Ash stared for a moment before returning it. Stepping forward, he placed his hand on top of theirs.

"Let's try this again," Donald began. "All for one…"

"And one for all!" They chanted together before grinning at each other happily.

Ash was grinning so widely he felt his face might very well split in half. When the teen had first woken up, he'd felt utterly lost. But with his new friends at his side, he was certain that everything would be okay.

"So… where are we going again?" Sora asked sheepishly.

Ash simply sighed. ' _Never mind. I'm doomed._ '

* * *

"It just slipped my mind!" Sora said defensively as the quartet entered the station.

"The King literally _just_ told us to get on the train," Ash deadpanned. "Even _my_ memory isn't that bad. And that says quite a bit."

Sora opened his mouth to retort but was cut off by another voice. "Wait up!" Hayner shouted and the four amigos stopped in their tracks.

"You guys?" Sora asked, a surprised expression on his face. "What is it?"

"We came to see you off." Pence explained. "It just... seemed like something we oughta do."

"Really?" Ash raised an eyebrow. "Well, thanks, I guess." He gave them a grin which they happily returned as Sora made his way to the ticket booth and pulled out the pouch the King had given him.

Olette let out a gasp upon catching sight of it. "What's wrong?" Donald asked. The girl bit her lip as she reached into her pocket and pulled out an identical pouch.

"They're the same!" Goofy exclaimed in surprise. Olette nodded silently, still biting her lip. Sora glanced at the two pouches before shrugging.

"Four please." He said, exchanging the munny for their tickets. As the man behind the booth handed over the tickets, Sora looked towards the train with a sad look on his face.

"I can't help feeling like we won't see this town again..." He murmured, prompting the Twilight Town natives to look at him in confusion.

"Why not?" Donald raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yer thinkin' too much," Goofy said reassuringly.

"I… guess you're right," Sora shook his head as the train pulled into the station.

"Okay!" Donald exclaimed as he, Goofy and Ash stepped inside. Sora was about to do likewise before pausing and turning back towards Hayner and his friends.

"Well… Bye." He said with a smile.

"Hey, Sora…" Hayner spoke up. "You… sure we haven't met before?"

"Positive." Sora nodded. "Why do you ask?"

Hayner shrugged with a grin. "I dunno."

Sora smiled as a tear fell down his cheek, prompting everyone to look at him in concern. Seeing this, he quickly wiped the tears away.

"You okay?" Ash questioned.

"Y-Yeah, don't know where it came from." Sora explained with a shaky grin.

Hayner chuckled. "Pull it together, man."

"Right…" The brown-haired teen murmured as he boarded the train. "See ya!"

"You guys'll come back for a visit, won't you?" Olette asked hopefully.

"You bet we will!" Ash nodded. "No need to worry!" He said this with a wide grin grin as he stole his dear friend's catchphrase. They smiled at him and waved goodbye as the doors closed and the train began moving out of the station.

"We'll definitely meet again…" Why then, were his eyes stinging? Like many things that have been happening recently, Ash didn't know.

* * *

 **A/N: I apologize for the unreasonably long delay. But rest assured that it wasn't just this fic, but all my fics have been on hiatus for the past few months.**

 **But hark! Our Lord and Savior, Auriansmule — The Kicker of Asses — has dragged me back into the fray!**

 **But yeah. I'm starting on the next chapter tonight, so it should hopefully be out faster than this one.**

 **In regards to the poll: whether or not Ash's Pokemon should have a role in the story. 38% of you voted for a big role while 33% of you voted for a small role. 20% of you said no role at all while 7% of you said "Fuck you, the original was better."**

 **In regards to that last one. Respectfully, fuck you too. -_-**

 **Anyway, since a clear majority is in favor of having them play a role — big or small, Auriansmule and I have thought of a compromise. The majority of Ash's Pokemon will play a very minor role. While Ash's on-hand Pokemon (Pikachu, Charizard, etc) — henceforth referred to as the Big Six — will play a fairly large role.**

 **You probably already inferred that much from the dialogue in this chapter. What exactly that role is, I won't say. But you guys are smart. I'm sure you'll figure it out.**

 **On an unrelated note... Those of you who know me, you know what's coming! Shameless self-advertising! If you like my writing style or sense of humor, be sure to check out my other (original) fics. Like I said, it's been a while since I've updated, but that hopefully be rectified within the next month or two. Currently in circulation are:**

 **RWBY/OreImo Crossover - I Can't Be a Huntsman (Kyousuke x Harem) - 12 chapters - 502 reviews**

 **Fire Emblem Awakening Fic - Childcare and Warfare (Robin x Harem) 3 chapters - 134 reviews**

 **Sekirei Fic - Unlimited (Minato x Miya x Harem) - 4 chapters - 165 reviews**

 **My other fics have been discontinued, but if you're into High School DxD, I have Devil Among Devils (Issei x Everyone) - 18 chapters - 952 reviews**

 **I'm sure you're noticing a pattern here. Harem romcoms are my specialty. HAREM IS LOVE; HAREM IS LIFE. MY FANFICS CAN'T BE THIS HAREM. MY FANFICS ARE HAREMS, JUST AS I EXPECTED. BOKU NO HAREM ACADEMIA. GONNA BE HAREM. NO HAREM NO LIFE. ONE PUNCH HAREM.**

 ***gets shot***

 **Anyway, read and add to that proud review count!**

 **Until next time!**

 **Your King**


	5. Destiny's Course - Redefined

**Chapter 5: Destiny's Course - Redefined**

* * *

"Well," Ash said with a weak smile. "You guys sure have been through a lot."

The four of them had just finished trading stories of their previous adventures; Sora and co. traversing worlds and battling the Heartless and Ash's journey to become a Pokemon Master. The brown-haired Keyblader just rubbed the back of his head sheepishly at his words.

"By the sound of it, you've been through a lot too," he said modestly. "So, you said that you're looking for your Pokemon, right? _All_ of them?"

"Yes," Ash admitted. "But I'm the most worried about the ones I had on-hand when my world fell."

"The ones those balls are for, right?" Donald gestured towards the six Poke Balls clipped on Ash's belt. "You were opening them left and right when we first woke up."

"Right," the Kanto native nodded. "We use Poke Balls to catch, store and transport Pokemon. When we catch a Pokemon, it's converted into data and placed in a virtual environment that's best suited for its species."

"Virtual environment?" Goofy repeated cluelessly.

"It's like an imaginary world," Sora explained, having watched a few movies back home that dealt with similar themes.

"So there are entire worlds inside those balls?" Donald asked in awe. Ash laughed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Not exactly," he said. "The 'worlds' aren't real. I'm not sure how to explain it to be honest. I barely understood when Professor Oak tried to explain it to me."

"Still, that seems really high-tech," Sora said appreciatively. "The whole thing sounds like sci-fi to me. You have anything else from your world?"

"Well, just my Pokedex, I guess," Ash said, pulling the device out. "It's basically an encyclopedia on every Pokemon currently known to man."

"That… kinda sounds boring, to be honest," Sora admitted sheepishly. The trainer just laughed.

"It sounds boring, but it's invaluable in the field," Ash pressed a few buttons and brought up a particular window. "Here, check it out."

The other three leaned in curiously and see what was displayed upon the screen. A small yellow creature with two red dots on its cheeks stared back at them cutely.

"This is a Pikachu," Ash explained. "It's an electric-type."

"And your first Pokemon, right?" Donald asked. Ash nodded and flicked his finger across the screen. Sora, Donald and Goofy were startled when a robotic voice started speaking in a monotone.

" **Pikachu — The Mouse Pokemon and the evolved form of Pichu. It can generate electricity from the electric pouches on its cheeks. When it raises its tail, it is sometimes struck by lightning. This Pokemon evolves into Raichu."**

"...Okay, that's pretty cool," Sora chuckled. Ash was about to say what was assuredly a witty remark when the train was suddenly enveloped in light.

The party glanced out the window as they slowly came to a stop; the car doors opening. All around them, endless space spanned across the horizon. The only break in the scenery being a floating island, upon which a tower stood in the distance.

Ash glanced at the others, who merely shrugged. The teen shook his head with a small sigh. He didn't think he'd ever get used to this magic stuff. Nevertheless, he followed after his friends as they cautiously stepped out, each of their eyes glued on the tower looming before them. As Ash stepped off the train, it suddenly disappeared in a shower of light, causing him to let out a startled yelp and leap back in shock.

Goofy caught him as the party stared bleakly at where the train used to be.

"Well, there goes our ride," Sora said with a nervous laugh. Ash merely sighed once more. Again, he doubted he'd ever get used to magic. Things could never be easy, could they?

"Only one way to go now," he said dryly. The others nodded with varying levels of enthusiasm. With Ash now leading the way, the four amigos made their way up the hillside towards the tower. There was just… one problem once they reached their destination.

"Uh… Hey there," Ash said awkwardly at the rather large posterior poking out of the doorway. "Can I ask what you're doing there?"

"Heh," the person peeking through the door chuckled. "I sent in some of my lackeys inside to see if the master of this tower's as big and tough as they say he is. Word on the street says he's a powerful sorcerer, which would make him the perfect bodyguard for _me_."

"But if he's as powerful as you say he is, what makes you think he'll work for you?" Sora raised an eyebrow at his rather faulty logic.

Ash nodded his agreement. "If anything, I'd be pretty angry if someone sent his goons to mess with me."

"Bah!" The person scoffed. "It don't matter none. No matter how powerful he is, once he's a Heartless, he'll have no choice but to do as I say!"

The party started at that. "Heartless?!" Donald demanded as each of them tensed for a fight.

The person in the doorway paid them no heed. "That's right," he said arrogantly. "They're those things that come out of the darkness in folks hearts."

"You can _control_ the Heartless?" Ash gaped in shock. That is, until he realized exactly what the person was saying. "And you sent them in there to turn someone?!"

The trainer clenched his fist as anger began coursing through him. Did he think this was some kind of game? That the people he was turning into Heartless were nothing but toys?!

"Of course!" The person laughed, further enraging the boy. "Thanks to my friend Maleficent, those Heartless do exactly as I tell 'em to! With her help, I'm gonna conquer everything!"

"Calm down, Ash." Sora patted him on the shoulder as he began to visibly shake with rage. The brown-haired teen then turned to glare at the person who _still_ hadn't turned to face them. "That's not happening."

"Oh, yeah? Says who?!" The person spun around to glare at them, only for his eyes to widen comically upon catching sight of who he was talking to. "ARRRGH! It's _you!_ "

Donald and Goofy likewise started in shock. "Pete?!" The cried in unison. Sora and Ash turned to them with raised eyebrows.

"What're you two nimrods doing here?" Pete demanded, pointing at them accusingly.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Donald shot back.

"You guys _know_ this clown?" Sora asked incredulously.

"We sure do!" Goofy exclaimed, nodding furiously. "Pete's been causin' trouble for ages! His Majesty banished him to another dimension a long time ago. I wonder how he escaped."

Pete laughed, as though he'd somehow outsmarted them. "You wanna know how, eh?" he asked smugly. "Well, Maleficent busted me out, that's how! And now your world— No. _All_ worlds are gonna belong to yours truly. Cause Maleficent's gonna help me conquer 'em!"

"Maleficent, huh…?" Sora asked sarcastically, his lips quirking upwards. Behind him Donald and Goofy started snickering while Ash just shook his head in both amusement and pity.

"What're _you_ laughing at?" Pete demanded. "Why, Maleficent's power is so great—"

"Look," Ash cut in, looking like he was desperately trying not to laugh at him. "Pete, was it? I don't know how to tell you this but…"

"Maleficent's toast!" Sora had no such reservations and was openly guffawing. Ash merely shook his head and chuckled.

"Sorry, but Maleficent can't help ya now," Goofy said matter-of-factly.

"You…" Pete's eyes narrowed. "So, _you're_ the ones that did it!"

"We… _might_ have had something to do with it," Sora said enigmatically, leaning back with a wry grin.

The four friends watched Pete began to visibly shake with rage. "Why you… HEARTLESS SQUAD!" He bellowed. "Round up!"

Ash saw Sora summon his Keyblade out of the corner of his eye and quickly did likewise. Donald and Goofy retrieved their respective weapons just as several inky black Shadows rose up from the stairwell.

"Let's see who'll be laughing after this!" Pete cackled smugly. "Nobody and I mean _nobody_ messes with the _Mighty_ Pet—"

He didn't even have a chance to finish his sentence before he suddenly found himself alone; the dissolving bodies of his Heartless as well as the quartet's brandished weapons being the only thing that proved that a battle had taken place. (If one could even call it that.)

"Wh— How did…?"

"So, _Mighty_ Pete," Sora said sarcastically as the four of them snickered at the flabbergasted look on his face. "Who lives in this tower anyway?"

The cat-like villain blinked at them owlishly before putting on a twitchy grin. "O-Oh, so you don't know?" He said this smugly. As though his goons _hadn't_ just been wtfpwned in front of him. "Well for your information, it's old Yen Sid! Course, he's probably a Heartless by now."

Donald's eyes widened upon hearing the name. "M-Master Yen Sid lives _here?_ " he stammered in shock. Pete didn't even have a chance to reply before the duck tore past him and into the tower.

"Who?" Ash asked in confusion. By the look on his face, Sora was equally clueless.

"Master Yen Sid is the King's teacher," Goofy explained as Pete sputtered indignantly at being ignored.

"Whoa…" Sora whistled. "Sounds powerful!"

"That must be why the King sent us," Ash noted. "Maybe Yen Sid can help us out."

"You're right!" The brown-haired boy's eyes widened. "Let's go!" With that the three of them rushed after Donald, leaving the fuming Pete behind.

* * *

 _Later..._

"I guess Pete wasn't kidding when he said he sent in a bunch of Heartless," Ash said with a sigh as he dispatched a Shadow. The party of four had spent the last twenty or so minutes just trying to climb the Heartless-infested stairs.

Donald nodded grimly. "Heartless, Heartless and more Heartless," he spat. "Things haven't changed one bit."

"I hoped Ash's world might have been an isolated thing," Sora said with a grimace. "But I guess the worlds aren't really at peace after all, huh?"

Ash clapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, for what it's worth, you still did the right thing," he said. "That Ansem guy needed to be taken down either way."

"Yeah... You're right." Sora nodded before glancing up at the rather elaborate door in front of them. "It looks like this is the last one, guys."

The others visibly perked up at this; with Donald even rubbing his hands together eagerly. "Oh, boy!" the duck whispered, practically vibrating in excitement. "Let's go!" Ash watched as he and Goofy quickly pushed the door open and stepped through before shaking his head and following after.

The room he found himself in was rather spacious, with a breathtaking view of the stars just outside the windows behind the mahogany desk before him. Sitting at this very desk was a wizened old man with navy blue robes and a wizard's cap, both of which were adorned with star-like patterns.

The man smiled at them through his thick beard as Sora closed the door behind them. "Master Yen Sid!" Donald exclaimed as he and Goofy saluted the old sorcerer. "It's an honor, sir!"

"Hi, there." Ash said with a polite smile. Sora waved his own greeting only to balk as Donald rounded on them with a furious twitch in his eye.

"Sora! Ash!" He hissed. "Show some respect!"

The two teens smiled weakly and bowed their heads in respect. Yen Sid waved this formality aside with an amused chuckle. "So, you are Sora and Ash," he asked, though it was more of a statement than a question. He waited for their nods before continuing. "I take it you've already seen the King?"

" _Seen_ , yes." Ash nodded. "But we didn't exactly have a chance to actually talk with him before he disappeared."

Yen Sid merely nodded, as though he'd expected as much. "Yes, the King's been rather busy as of late," he mused before shaking his head. "Well, it seems the task of instructing you falls to me then. You four have a perilous journey ahead of you. You'd best be well prepared."

Sora blinked at this. "Wait, what?" he asked in alarm. "Another quest? But we were gonna go look for Riku. And we promised Ash that we'd help him find his Pokemon."

Ash nodded in agreement. "Master Yen Sid… how does the King even know me?" he asked, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't even know that other worlds existed until a few days ago at best. Does he really think I'll be able to do what Sora and the others can?"

"That, I do not know," Yen Sid admitted. "What I _do_ know, however, is that the King is no fool. The Keyblade chose you for a reason, Ash. It is up to _you_ to discover what that reason is. As for the King's reasoning… well… I can only make assumptions."

"Anything is better than nothing," Ash urged him pleadingly.

"It is my belief that he wishes you to find those who are lost to us." The old wizard said, leaning back in his seat, frowning ever-so-slightly.

"Lost...?" The Pokemon trainer's brow furrowed for a moment.

"One who is lost in darkness, one who has been consumed by it, and one who must have his heart returned to him." Yen Sid said. "You must go with them, Ash. Until you find what it is you search for."

The old man let him stew on those words as he turned to face Sora.

"Everything in this journey is connected, young Sora." He said cryptically. "Whether you'll find your way back to the islands, whether you'll return alone or with your friend, and whether or not the islands will even _be_ there. And the key that connects them all is _you_ , Sora."

"I'm… The key…?" The brunet murmured to himself. He looked down to his open hand and in a flash of light, the Keyblade appeared.

The old wizard nodded. "You are the key that will open the Door to Light."

Donald and Goofy patted Sora on the back, grinning widely. The teen in question merely chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head. Ash, on the other hand, sighed. None of his questions had been answered. If anything, he'd only been given _more_ questions.

Yen Sid noticed his frustration and chuckled. "Patience, young Ash," he said with a wry smile. "I am certain you will come to understand in time."

The old sorcerer waved his hand.

Suddenly, a massive tome appeared before them. "This book contains valuable knowledge that pertains to your journey. Study it carefully." The book floated over to them and opened itself.

Ash grimaced at the sheer size of the book and judging by the look on his face, Sora wasn't exactly enthused about reading such an absurdly thick tome either. So, as Donald hunkered down to start reading, the two teens glanced at each other, sharing a silent agreement between themselves.

"Master Yen Sid, why are the Heartless still running around?" Sora asked swiftly.

Too long; didn't read.

That was okay, though. Surely, Donald could fill them in later, right?

 _Right?_

If Yen Sid noticed their laziness (and they were certain he did), he didn't comment on it.

"Your past endeavors did prevent an immense effusion of Heartless from the great darkness; make no mistake about that," Yen Sid assured him. "However, the Heartless are darkness made real — and darkness yet lingers in every heart. So long as darkness exists in a single heart, it will be difficult to eliminate them."

Sora notably drooped at that. Goofy saw this and quickly spoke up. "Gawrsh, so that means if every heart was filled with light, then the Heartless would disappear, right?"

The brown-haired boy perked up at this, but opposition came from a very unlikely source.

"That's… never going to happen," Ash said quietly, prompting everyone (sans Donald, who was still reading) to turn to him in surprise.

"Hmm…" Yen Sid turned to stare at him intently. "And why do you say this, Ash?"

The boy grimaced. "It's like you said, Master," he muttered. "There's darkness in every heart. Even the most innocent person has a _little_ bit of darkness in them."

"But then how are we supposed to win?" Sora growled in frustration.

"By making sure there's always light to balance out the darkness," Ash said, thinking back to his encounter with Aqua.

The sound of clapping broke the party out of their reverie. They turned to see Yen Sid staring at Ash with a look of approval on his face.

"You are absolutely right, Ash," the old man praised, causing a bright red blush to appear on the boy's face. Yen Sid chuckled at this. "Now it's time to speak of the enemies you will encounter."

The wizard waved his hand and a beam of light suddenly began shining down on the floor next to them. Within the light shaft, an image of Donald appeared, causing the three remaining party members to turn in surprise towards the real Donald.

He was _still_ reading.

Ash sweatdropped at the sight. "I'm really glad we didn't read that," he whispered to Sora, who grimaced before nodding.

"Ahem," Yen Sid cleared his throat, prompting the two teens to smile at him sheepishly. "Now, then…"

The image of Donald suddenly transformed into a Shadow. "If one such as Donald were to yield to the darkness in their heart, they too will become a Heartless. But you know this."

Sora snickered at the poor duck being used as an example while he was unable to protest. That's what he gets for being a huge nerd and actually _reading_! The teen shuddered at the mere thought!

"The Heartless are always lurking and ever seeking to capture new hearts." Yen Sid continued, prompting Sora to quickly sober up. "Never let your guard down. Now then..."

With another wave of his hand, a familiar silvery creature appeared next to the Heartless. Ash squawked in surprise.

"Those are the things that attacked me during my Awakening!" he exclaimed, causing Yen Sid to turn to him sharply.

"They attacked you during your _Awakening?_ " He questioned. Ash nodded.

"Those things ambushed us on the way to the station too," he explained. "We'd have been toast if the King didn't save us."

"That is… odd." The man's brow furrowed.

"What are they, Master Yen Sid?" Goofy asked quietly.

"The creature you see before you is known as a Nobody." The wizard explained. "At times, if someone with a strong heart and will — be they evil or good — becomes a Heartless, the empty shell they leave behind begins to act with a will of its own."

"An empty vessel whose heart has been stolen away…" Yen Sid murmured. "A spirit that goes on even as its body fades from existence — for you see, Nobodies do not truly exist at all. They may seem to have feelings, but this is a ruse — they only _pretend_ to have hearts. You must _not_ be deceived!"

The party (sans Donald) stared at the image in horrified fascination. "T-That sounds like a nightmare…" Ash muttered. "For your body to act with a will of it's own."

Sora nodded. "Almost like a zombie…" he shuddered. "I hope that never happens to anyone we know."

Ash's eyes widened at that, a look of trepidation blossoming on his face. "Master Yen Sid!" he exclaimed in an urgent tone. "When my world fell—"

The man held up a hand. "I know what you're thinking, Ash," he said grimly. "But I cannot tell you, for I do not know the answer."

"No..." Sora whispered, realizing exactly what Ash was thinking. The trainer grit his teeth in frustration.

"However, I can tell you this," the man said, causing both boys to perk up. "When your world fell, most of its residents had already disappeared, correct?"

"Y-Yes…"

"Then you can rest assured that the majority of them are safe and sound," Yen Sid said with a smile. "For you see, when a world falls, it acts with a will of its own to evacuate its remaining residents to nearby Hub Worlds. Only the most stubborn — or unlucky — are left to the mercy of the Heartless."

"Ya see, Ash?" Goofy slapped him on the back as the boy visibly sagged in relief. "I told ya everything'd be fine!

"But…" The party once again stiffened as the wizard continued. "Those left behind suffer an uncertain fate. Whether or not they escaped… or if they were turned into Heartless or Nobodies. That, I cannot say."

"So, my on-hand team…" Ash grimaced as Sora patted him on the shoulder.

"We'll find them, Ash," the brown-haired boy said. "We promised we'd help. Right guys?"

"Right!" Goofy cheered.

…

…

…

"Donald!" Sora shouted.

"Huh?" The duck glanced up at them from where he was _still_ reading the book Yen Sid had given them.

"Stop being a nerd and tell Ash we'll help him!"

Donald scowled at that. "Some people actually _like_ reading, Sora."

"Yeah, and they're called _nerds!_ " The teen shot back. Donald looked ready to issue a hot retort when they were interrupted by the sound of laughter. The two turned in surprise to see Ash desperately trying to get his mirth under control.

"I-I'm sorry," the black-haired boy chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye. "But…" He smiled at them. "Thank you guys."

"Er… No problem." Sora grinned, while Donald rolled his eyes and reluctantly put the book down.

"So, what were you saying about the Nobodies, Master Yen Sid?" Goofy asked. The old wizard just smiled at their antics before continuing where he'd left off.

With a wave of his hand, the image of the Shadow disappeared and was replaced with two more Nobodies. "The being you see here is known as a Dusk," he explained. "They are the weakest and most common form of Nobody."

"The weakest…?" Ash murmured. "They seemed plenty tough to me."

"Stronger than a Shadow, that's for sure," Sora nodded.

"Indeed," Yen Sid agreed. "They can also plan, where the Heartless rely on instinct. They are a much more dangerous force and they will _all_ try do you harm." The images of the Dusks turned into three hooded figures. "Now these powerful Nobodies formed a group called Organization XIII. It commands the lesser Nobodies."

Ash felt a prick in the back of his mind upon hearing that name. He frowned for a moment before ignoring it for now. "Organization XIII?" He glanced at the others for any signs of recognition. They all shook their heads.

"It seems that Organization XIII is working toward a goal." The old man said grimly. "What that goal is, I do not know." He shook his head wearily and waved his hand. The images disappeared and the beam of light faded away.

"The King has sensed the dangers, found the Realm of Darkness's Keyblade, and journeyed forth to fight it." Yen Sid continued. "He went out, traveling from world to world, fighting the Heartless while trying to solve the riddle of the Nobodies and Organization XIII."

"Then the first thing we need to do is find him." Sora figured. "He should know where Riku is, too. They were together when we closed the Door to Darkness. I mean, after we defeated Ansem."

"If he knew, why didn't he just tell us when he had the chance?" Ash asked. "Or better, why didn't he come here with us?"

"You must understand that the Organization has ears everywhere," Yen Sid said gravely. "I ask that you be cautious in where you speak of them."

"So, what do we do?" Donald asked.

"For now, you should try to find the King." The old man gestured to a door on the far side of the room. "You will need some traveling clothes. Those look a bit too small." He said this while looking at Sora specifically.

The teen in question looked himself over in surprise, finding that his clothes were indeed a bit on the small side. "Through that door, you'll find three good fairies." Yen Sid said. "If you ask, they'll make you new clothes."

"You sure are growing fast, Sora," Goofy said with a laugh.

"Heh," Sora smiled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I guess so…"

* * *

Ash pushed the heavy double door open to see a homely room with a large dresser and a changing screen. Waiting for them were three rather short women, one wearing red, another wearing blue and the final wearing green. Each of these women had a pointy wizard's hat as well as a pair of translucent wings. The three women were currently embroiled in what appeared to be an argument.

"You guys, me, Riku and the King," Sora said from behind him, prompting Ash to turn around. The brown-haired boy was staring at his clenched fist with a determined expression on his face. "I don't care what Organization XIII is planning. With the six of us… I mean, the seven of us," He quickly corrected himself, smiling sheepishly at Jiminy, who was rapidly writing in his journal on Sora's shoulder. "We'll get through it."

"You know it!" Donald nodded while Goofy let out a cheer. Ash on the other hand simply smiled and chuckled. Their antics quickly caught the attention of the three fairies.

"Ah," The woman dressed in red broke away from their argument and floated over to them. "You must be Sora, Donald, Goofy and Ash; the travelers Yen Sid told us about. My name is Flora." She gave an elegant bow at this, making Sora and Ash shuffle awkwardly. Donald and Goofy took it in stride, being used to such courtly manners.

Flora gestured to the thin woman in green. "This is Fauna." She turned to the stout blue one. "And this one is Merryweather."

"If you came for some new clothes, you've come to the right place," Merryweather said with a bright smile as she and Fauna floated over to them.

"I'll do the designing!" The green-clad fairy offered excitedly.

Flora and Merryweather floated over to Sora. Fauna waved her wand with a grand flourish, causing a bright green light to fly into Sora's chest and turning his clothes a leafy green color, much to Ash's amazement. Honestly. He'll never get tired of magic!

"Oh! That will never do," Merryweather scoffed as she also waved her wand, changing Sora's outfit from leafy green to sky blue.

"Now girls!" Flora said testily, brandishing her wand and once more changing the boy's clothing from sky blue to a fiery red. This was met with immediate protest from the other two and within minutes, the room descended into chaos, with colors flying around every which way.

Ash had taken cover behind the changing screen the moment a stray bolt of light had nearly turned him vomit-green (if the new color of the walls was any indication). He could see Donald hiding behind Goofy, who'd raised his shield (which was now a bright, neon blue) to protect himself. Donald's hat had likewise turned an obnoxious crimson color, clashing horrifically with his general color scheme.

Okay, Ash could now safely say that he was tired of magic.

"Would you just _decide?!_ " He heard Sora bellow over the chaos. Immediately, the cacophony of noise ceased, prompting Ash to cautiously peek his head out.

The entire room was now a hideous combination of blues, greens and reds. Goofy's formerly black fur was now a deep burgundy, further throwing off his color scheme. Though if Ash was to be honest, he looked pretty hilarious standing there with burgundy fur, a lime green sweater, orange hat, yellow pants and a neon blue shield.

In the center of the room, Sora's outfit had somehow managed to turn _pink_ of all things. How that was possible from the RGB colors they'd been throwing around, Ash had no idea.

Thankfully, he and Donald had managed to avoid the brunt of the fairies' magic, with the only casualty between the two being Donald's hat.

"It's ruined!" The duck wailed, clutching his crimson hat as tears streamed down his face. "Now I'm a fashion disaster just like Ash!"

"Hey!" The trainer squawked indignantly. "The difference between the two of us is that _I_ make these colors look good!"

Red and blue had always been his signature colors! How dare Donald disparage them?!

The three fairies chuckled nervously at their overly-dramatic antics. "Alright girls, and no more squabbling." Flora ordered.

With that, the three fairies waved their wands in unison, causing three beams of light to fly toward Sora. When they made contact with his clothes, a bright flash of light appeared, forcing everyone to shut their eyes. As the light died down, Ash slowly re-opened his eyes, only for his jaw to drop at the sight before him.

The room was back to normal! And so were Goofy and Donald's clothes, much to the duck's relief.

"Yes!" Donald cried out, kissing his newly restored hat as tears of happiness flowed freely down his face. Goofy likewise looked very relieved to be back to normal, as was Ash. He wasn't sure he'd be able to look at such an eyesore for the remainder of their journey together.

...Oh, and Sora had a new outfit, too. It was black and awesome-looking, but compared to everything else that'd happened in the last few minutes, it wasn't very exciting.

"Finally…" The brown-haired teen grumbled to himself. Apparently not even _he_ found his new clothing to be very thrilling, if the look of exhaustion on his face was anything to go by.

"Oh my!" Flora was of a different opinion as she circled the boy, clearly admiring her handiwork.

"What a charming outfit!" Merryweather complimented.

"You look quite dashing," Fauna added with a smile before turning to Ash. "Would you like anything, dear? Don't be afraid to ask!"

Ash glanced at her in surprise. "...I can't really think of anything I'd need," he admitted. "I'm comfortable in the clothes I'm wearing. The only other things I have are Poke Balls and my Pokedex, but I really shouldn't need anything else."

"Poke Balls?" Flora repeated curiously. "Pokedex?"

"These," Ash explained, retrieving the objects in question. He gave them a brief rundown of what they were and the three of them turned to each other with pensive expressions.

"I see… But I'd hate to send you off with nothing," Flora said, biting her lip. Suddenly, a lightbulb seemed to go off in her head. "Oh!"

"What is it?" Ash questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"You said that this device allows you to scan opponents, correct?" The fairy asked for clarification as she gestured towards the Pokedex.

"Among other things, yes." The Pallet Town native nodded.

"Then I think I know just what to do." She held out her hand. "May I see it for a moment, dear?"

"Er… Okay."

"Excellent, now just a dash of magic…" Flora waved her wand and in an instant, the Pokedex was enveloped in a warm red light. As the light faded, Ash was shocked at what was in her hand.

Gone was the blocky form of the Pokedex. In its place was what appeared to be a pair of sleek glasses, tinted a slight orange (much to the chagrin of Fauna and Merryweather).

"Try them on, dear," Flora said, throwing a rather smug look to her fellow fairies. Ash did as he was told. As he handled the glasses, he noticed there were a few buttons on its arms.

Placing them over his eyes, he looked around to see everything was fairly normal, albeit tinted orange ever-so-slightly. Seeing the prompting look on Flora's face, Ash pressed one of the buttons.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed.

"What is it?" Sora asked eagerly. Ash turned to him.

"Name: Sora. Age 15. Gender: Male. Designation: Friendly — tagged as green. Distance: Two feet away."

"Er, what?" The boy raised an eyebrow at the rather gratuitous information. "Yeah. I am… Wait… Tagged as green?"

"This is just like my armor's HUD…" he murmured. "I even have a health bar!"

"A health bar?!" Sora exclaimed, his eyes widening in awe.

"Yeah, at the bottom right corner of my vision," Ash replied excitedly. "I see your guy's current status too. It's like we're partied in an RPG or something!"

"That's awesome!"

"I know, right?!"

"What're they talking about?" Goofy whispered to Donald, who merely shrugged. Who knew what kids talked about these days? The duck unconsciously stretched out a kink in his back while grumbling about whippersnappers.

"Thank you, Flora," Ash said, grinning at the red-clad fairy.

"Think nothing of it, dear." The woman said with a motherly smile.

"Hmph, we could have done that…" Fauna grumbled to herself before seeming to realize something. "Oh, and before we forget! Sora, could you come over here for a second, sweetheart?"

The boy did so, an eager grin on his face. "Now those aren't ordinary clothes, dear." Flora told him as Fauna and Merryweather waved their wands, causing an orb to appear before him.

"Now, touch the orb, dear." Flora urged. Sora hesitantly touched the orb and was shocked as it was absorbed into his body.

"Now, watch what happens!" Merryweather said excitedly. The others watched on as the light surrounding Sora's clothes slowly faded, revealing a brand new outfit of red and black.

But what really caught everyone's attention was the brand new Keyblade in his left hand. The weapon was an indigo color, with a pattern of yellow stars along the shaft and the guard having the appearance of shooting stars.

"Another Keyblade?!" Goofy yelped in shock.

"Awesome!" Sora practically had stars in his eyes. "So now I can use two, just like Ash?"

The three fairies started at this and turned to the aforementioned boy in shock. "Is this true, dear?" Flora asked uncertainly. "You can use two Keyblades naturally?"

"Uh, yeah…" Ash proved it by summoning Oathkeeper and Oblivion.

"That's extraordinary," Fauna remarked, admiring the beauty of the two legendary weapons.

"I guess…" The raven-haired trainer mumbled, somewhat awkwardly. It didn't feel right that so much attention was being drawn to the fact that he had two Keyblades. Ash felt like he hadn't earned such attention. It's not like he'd done anything special.

"Mhmm," Merryweather nodded before returning her attention to Sora. "I'm sorry to say that you won't be able to wield two the same way Ash can."

"It's more like a temporary burst of power in a pinch," Fauna admitted.

"Oh," Sora looked slightly put out by this, but quickly regained his usual spunk. "Still though," He turned to Ash with a rather cocky grin on his face. "I'd say my upgrade was better than yours."

"We'll see," Ash responded with a grin of his own, thankful for Sora's ability to lighten any atmosphere. "My outfit has a few tricks up its sleeve."

' _Or rather,_ on _its sleeve._ ' He thought with a glance at his inactive armor resting on his shoulder.

"This journey will be twice as difficult as your last." Merryweather warned them, causing Sora, Donald and Goofy to slump over.

"Your garments also have other powers," Flora told Sora. "But you will have to discover what they are as you continue on your journey."

Sora quickly perked up and sent them all a grateful smile. "Okay, I'll do my best." he said happily as his clothes reverted back to normal. "And thanks a lot!"

"Yeah, thanks for everything you've done." Ash nodded with an earnest smile.

"Oh, and there's something else for you!" Fauna suddenly spoke up, a look of realization on her face. "From Master Yen Sid. Make sure to speak with him before you leave!"

"Oh boy!" Donald exclaimed excitedly.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Ash asked with a grin. He dismissed his Keyblades, as did Sora. "Let's go!" With that said, the party made their way back into the Sorcerer's Loft, though not before thanking the women one final time.

Yen Sid was no longer seated at his desk when they entered. He was instead staring out the window. The old wizard turned to them upon hearing the door open and gestured for them to approach.

Ash glanced at the others to see them shrug. The quartet slowly approached the window and looked out. The trainer wasn't sure what he was expecting, but it certainly hadn't been _this_. Ash's jaw nearly dropped as a sleek, orange-yellow vehicle suddenly rose up out of the clouds and began hovering before them.

"Is that…?"

"The Gummi Ship!" Donald cried excitedly.

"Alright!" Sora cheered. "You guys all set?"

"Now wait just a moment," Yen Sid held up a hand. "Because of your previous endeavors, the worlds have returned to their original states. That means the pathways between them have disappeared."

All four of them slumped over in exasperation upon hearing this. Two steps forward, one step back.

"Then how do we get around?" Donald asked, his feathers ruffling in irritation.

"Do not fear." Yen Sid said. "If what the King suspected proves true, the worlds have prepared new pathways along which you may travel." They perked up at this. "These pathways may be utilized by unlocking special gates. How these gates are opened, I'm afraid I do not know…"

...Aaaand back to square one. They slumped over once more.

"However, the Keyblades will serve as your guides." The wizard continued, ignoring their antics. "When a beam of light radiates from the Keyblades, return to the Gummi Ship. Though the worlds may seem far apart and out of reach, they nonetheless remain connected by invisible ties. As do our hearts."

"Our hearts are… connected…" Ash mumbled to himself, absentmindedly touching the charm tucked within his shirt.

Sora nodded. "Got it."

"But be warned," Yen Sid said with a solemn frown. "As you proceed... The Heartless and the Nobodies will be using their own paths: Corridors of Darkness, to travel from world to world. They may be attempting to link these dark pathways to the gates between worlds."

"What?!" Donald cried with an indignant squawk. "That's not fair!"

"In my experience," Ash piped in. "Bad guys usually don't play fair."

He snickered as Donald sent him a baleful glare. Yen Sid once more ignored their antics. "Go forth, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Ash!" he said gesturing towards the Gummi Ship. "Everyone is waiting."

They glanced at each other for a moment before nodding. As one, the party snapped to attention. "Master Yen Sid!" Donald declared.

"We sure to appreciate the help." Goofy finished as they all saluted him before making their way out the room. As the large, double doors closed behind them, Ash looked back just in time to see Yen Sid disappearing in a flash of light.

' _Magic._ ' The teen huffed.

* * *

 _Hours later..._

A scream reverberated throughout the tower as three fairies stared through the window in horror. "W-What is that!?" Merryweather shouted. A crow, cawed at them then it flew through the open window with a black cloak clutched in its talons. As soon as it landed on the ground, the crow flew away leaving the cloak behind.

"Have... we seen this before?" Fauna asked, staring at the cloak with a feeling of unease running up her spine.

"It does look awfully familiar," Flora said as they examined the cloak, going to great effort not to actually touch it.

Merryweather let out a small gasp when she realized something. "Malefi—" She began to say, but quickly caught herself and threw a hand over her mouth.

"No, no, we mustn't remember her name!" Flora cried with a frantic look on her face. "Oh, dear…!"

"She sure is a mean old witch," Merryweather said before clutching her head as a horrified expression made its way onto her face. "Oh no, the memories are coming back! What do we do? Oh, what do we do?!"

Then, to their utter horror, the cloak began to rise on its own. Twisting and writhing, it thrashed about, causing the three fairies to slowly back away with terror in their eyes.

"We must tell Master Yen Sid!" Fauna cried.

"Yes, that's what we must do!" Flora swiftly nodded in agreement. She and Fauna ran to the door and disappeared in a flash of light.

This left Merryweather behind to watch in mounting terror as the cloak continued to rise; taking the form of an evil the fairies never wanted to see again. "Maleficent!" she shrieked before dashing towards the door and disappearing in the same fashion as Flora and Fauna.

The now fully formed Maleficent slowly opened her hateful eyes and gazed about her surroundings with barely restrained glee. Alive again… She was _back_. Slowly, she tipped her head back as a laugh began to echo throughout the room. It was dark, creepy and painful to listen to.

"Mwahahahaha!"

And even more painful to read.

* * *

 **A/N:** **Their party portraits and health bars are totally canon now lol. If you're curious what Ash's new glasses look like, they're like Miyuki's sports glasses from Diamond no Ace. (The guy on my profile pic).**

 **Ash is now a Megane character. Maybe we'll see some Scary Shiny Glasses in the future in style of Conway? haha**

 ***sighs* Alright guys. No more beating around the bush. Things are gonna be changed up next chapter. The overall story will still be the same, as in, still Kingdom Hearts II, but Ash will be having his own separate sidequest.**

 **He'll still be following Sora and the gang, but they're gonna have some additional tasks to complete. Like I said, it's like a sidequest. Or maybe DLC? However you wanna look at it, there's gonna be some new shit happening.**

 **Auriansmule and I have talked it over a bunch of times and — agree or disagree — this is how we decided to go about it. He did bring up something you may be interested in though.**

 **New content.**

 **In the original version of this fic, Ash and the gang went to two new worlds. Yu-Gi-Oh and Zelda. We saw these worlds once and we never saw any worlds beside these two. He wanted to know if I planned on adding my own worlds.**

 **At first the answer was no. The story is long enough has it is. But after giving it some thought, I figured that it wouldn't be overly difficult to add one or two here and there so long as it doesn't affect the overall story.**

 **Especially since the cookie-cutter formula is: Plop characters in world, meet main character of that world, help new character, fight Heartless and save the day.**

 **I don't know. I'll talk to Auriansmule and give it some more thought.**

 **Thanks for reading and be sure to leave your thoughts in the box below.**

 **\- Your King**


	6. Unexpected Reunions

**Chapter 6: Unexpected Reunions**

* * *

The grin on Ash's face threatened to split his face in half as he eagerly gazed out the Gummi Ship's windows. Yen Sid's tower was slowly fading in the distance as the ship climbed higher and higher into the atmosphere.

"This is amazing." Was all he could say. "I can't believe this is happening."

"I know what you mean," Sora replied with a grin as he piloted the ship away from Twilight Town. "I reacted the same way the first time I was in the Gummi Ship."

"I'm glad you're enjoyin' yerself," Goofy chuckled, clapping the raven-haired teen on the back and nearly sending him to the ground from the sheer force.

"At least you're not moping about what happened any more," Donald noted as the ship finally exited the atmosphere and was flung into the vast outer space. Ash blinked at what lay before them.

True to Yen Sid's word, there was indeed a pathway made of pure light, at the end of which the teen could just barely make out an image...

"There's only one?" Sora asked, a tone of annoyance in his voice.

"That's no good!" Donald grumbled.

"Wait a minute…" Goofy squinted his eyes as the world slowly came into focus. It was a barren-looking world, upon which sat a large, steampunk-styled castle. "I think we know this one!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Ash asked eagerly as the Gummi Ship settled into orbit just above the world. "Let's go!"

* * *

 _One teleportation later..._

The Pallet Prodigy found himself stumbling slightly as his particles re-arranged themselves in an alleyway on the world they'd "landed" on. Sora placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

"Easy does it, Ash," the brunet Keyblader said with a sympathetic smile on his face. "It takes some getting used to."

"Ugh..." Ash grumbled to himself. "Teleportation. I'll never get used to it. How Gardevoir can do it mid-battle is beyond me..." He paused and glanced up at the looming castle in the distance. "Where are we anyway?"

"This looks like… Hollow Bastion!" Sora exclaimed, his eyes widening in realization.

"It looks a little different," Goofy noted.

"Really?" The raven-haired boy asked curiously. "How?"

"Well… It's a lot less…"

"Evil-looking?" Sora supplied, smirking slightly.

"Yeah!"

"I hope Leon and the others are doing okay," Donald remarked.

"I hope so, too." Sora nodded. Ash, however, was staring off at a nearby rooftop in concern.

"Uh, guys?" The others turned their gazes towards where he was pointing just in time to see a small group of Soldier Heartless disappear in a wisp of darkness.

"Really?" Donald demanded, facepalming. "Here too?"

"Looks like we're gonna have to do some fightin'," Goofy chuckled nervously.

"Let's go find Leon and the gang," Sora suggested. "Maybe they'll know a thing or two about the Heartless or the Organization."

The others were quick to agree and with that goal in mind, the quartet set off to find one Squall Leonhart or "Leon" as he prefered to be called. Making their way down a flight of stairs, the group (sans Ash) was surprised to find themselves in the middle of a bazaar of sorts.

Merchants of all kinds were peddling their wares from stands and stalls. Several signs hanging from the surrounding buildings indicated that they too were various stores. One such sign read "Honey Bee Inn".

Ash filed that information away. While most Pokemon Centers would allow trainers to stay the night for minimal cost, this often left them overcrowded with travelers. So, it was always a good idea to have a backup plan should the need arise. It was a lesson learned from having to camp outside in a nearby park one chilly night. Something the trainer wished to avoid in the future.

"It's hard to believe this is Hollow Bastion," Sora murmured as he watched Donald and Goofy approach a stall to purchase some supplies for their journey.

"It it really so odd to see people living here?" Ash questioned.

"This place was practically a ghost town the last time we were here." The other boy shook his head. "No, not practically. It _was_ a ghost town. The only things that _lived_ here were the Heartless."

"I see…" Ash gazed out at the square that was practically brimming with people. With _life_. It was hard to imagine that this place had once been wrought with darkness and despair.

But that just made Sora's accomplishment all the more impressive in his eyes.

"The only reason this is possible is because of you," Ash told him, grinning as the brunet boy just rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"I guess..." he mumbled just as Donald and Goofy returned with a new pack filled with various necessities.

"We're good to go!" Goofy said, shouldering the backpack. "I asked around and it looks like Leon and the gang are holed up in the Borough."

"Apparently they call themselves the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee," Donald remarked.

"Well, they've done a standup job so far," Sora said, gesturing to the thriving marketplace. The two animals nodded their agreement.

"Let's hurry and head towards the Borough then," Ash suggested. "I'm a little worried about those Heartless we saw. Especially with all these people here."

They group assented to that logic and quickly made their way towards the northern stairs leading towards the Borough. But not before running into a familiar face for Donald and Goofy.

"Uncle Scrooge?" He exclaimed, staring at an elderly duck wearing a top hat and a rather expensive looking jacket. In his feathered hands were a short cane in the right and a popsicle ice cream in the left. The anthropomorphized duck was standing before an enormous freezer with several dozen blocks of ice sitting within.

Sora and Ash gazed between the two with raised eyebrows. "Uh… who?"

"Scrooge McDuck is Donald's uncle and a business tycoon." Goofy explained. "Before the Heartless showed up, he traveled the worlds on a Gummi Ship with the King. He was helpin' to set up a traffic system."

" _Transmit_ system!" Donald corrected, shooting him an annoyed glare.

"What's all the racket?" The old duck demanded in a thick Scottish accent. He turned and spotted them, his glare quickly evaporating into a smile. "Why, if it isn't Donald and Goofy! Hello lads! Aye, you all look hale and hearty!"

"So do you, Uncle Scrooge." Donald said, nodding politely.

"I can see the relation," Ash whispered to Sora. "He glares just like Donald!" The brown-haired teen had to cover his mouth and turn away, lest he burst into laughter. Donald saw this out of the corner of his eye and turned to glare at him harshly.

This had the opposite effect, merely sending Sora into a giggle fit. Ash was quick to follow as he grinned at the two ducks.

"And who'd these two be?" Scrooge gestured to the two teenagers.

"This is Sora and Ash," Goofy introduced them.

"Please forgive their terrible manners," Donald said pleadingly.

"Oh, believe me. I've seen worse in my day, lad," The elderly duck chuckled.

"So, what are you doing here, Uncle?"

"Ah, well," Scrooge gestured to the piles of ice sitting in the vault behind him. "Ye see, I've been tryin' ta recreate my favorite old-time ice cream. I'd make millions if I just got it right!"

He emphasized this by taking a lick from the popsicle in his hand, only to grimace at the taste. "Terrible...!" He sighed and turned back towards the cooler. "Ah, well… I'm sure you lads've got better things to do than tend to an old duck. Off with ye now!"

Ash looked towards the others and shrugged. The four of them continued their way down the stairs towards the Borough. However, the moment they reached the bottom, a sudden beam of light manifested before them.

"What the—" Ash exclaimed, watching as the strange light began flashing and disappearing all around the area in a seemingly random manner. "What is that?"

" _That_ is the town's defense mechanism!" A feminine voice called out from above them.

The party of four looked up and saw a teenage girl, perhaps a year or two older than Ash and Sora. She had black hair styled into a bob cut and warm brown eyes. Around her forehead was a black hitai-ate and her outfit consisted of a black tanktop with a grey vest and a pair of cut off jean shorts.

Though a complete stranger to Ash; Sora, Donald and Goofy seemed to recognize her. "Yuffie!"

' _The ninja master?_ ' Ash thought to himself, remembering Sora's description of the energetic girl back on the train ride to Yen Sid's tower. Yuffie smiled at them before letting out a gasp.

"Look out!" She shouted. Sora's eyes widened, leaping back just as a Dusk appeared out of nowhere and attacked him. Donald and Goofy reacted instantaneously, retrieving their respective weapons.

"We're surrounded," Ash noted, warily gazing at the Nobodies forming a loose circle around them.

"Hey, Ash!" Sora's rather eager voice surprised him. "You said you had a few tricks up your sleeve, right? How 'bout we have a little competition?"

"A competition, eh?" Ash murmured before breaking out into a grin.

"Whoever takes out the most wins," The brunet said confidently. "Let's see whose upgrades are better!"

"You're on!" Ash smirked.

"Oh, brother..." Donald grumbled at their childishness. Goofy just chuckled.

"Ah, let 'em have their fun."

Sora was first to act. In a flash of light, his clothing turned deep red; Star Seeker appearing in his left hand. Wasting no time, he dashed forward, cutting through his first Dusk with ease. It appeared that his transformation granted him increased speed and strength.

Not to be outdone, Ash slammed his fist against his pauldron, causing his entire body to be enveloped in a bright light, nearly blinding his companions. When they opened their eyes, they were shocked to see him standing in full-body armor, his cape billowing dramatically in the wind that (somehow) managed to start blowing at the perfect time and angle.

Ash smirked as his HUD automatically began tracking the Nobodies' movements. Raising his arms, Oathkeeper and Oblivion appeared in his hands. Before he could even think of attacking, however, his Keyblades disappeared and he suddenly found himself sitting atop some kind of hoverbike.

' _Wait… what is—"_

"AARRRGH!" Ash cried out as the bike suddenly began hurtling forward at an alarming pace, slamming violently into a group of Dusks unfortunate enough to be in his way. "What the heck is happening?!"

Sora, Donald and Goofy sweatdropped as they watched their companion running over the Nobodies on his (admittedly awesome-looking) hoverbike, screaming all the while. "Well," Goofy said uncertainly. "He's winning at least."

Sora wasn't sure how to feel about that.

Yuffie on the other hand, knew exactly how she felt. When she'd first saw the guy, she offhandedly thought he was kinda cute. But there were plenty of cute guys out there; among them being Sora — in a dorky, naive kinda way.

But the minute he donned his armor, he became the spitting image of a fairytale knight. The armor, the confident stance and the billowing cape only solidified that image. Even now, as he heroically dispatched the strange creatures, she only saw a valiant knight sitting atop his noble steed, issuing a manly battle cry as he did so!

Silently, she leapt down towards the other three who were still watching their friend running the Nobodies down with deadpan looks on their faces. Sora's outfit had once again turned black from inactivity as he watched Ash make a fool of himself.

" **Target locked.** " The familiar voice of Dexter flowed out from within Ash's helmet as the HUD began highlighting several Dusks at once.

"Target locked?" The teen repeated, his voice going up an octave as he felt the bike began to vibrate. "What do you mean target—"

"Did that thing just shoot a laser?" Sora asked his companions as they watched the hoverbike fire off a beam of intense light. Donald merely nodded; his face still deadpan. The last of the Nobodies had been defeated, but Ash was still zooming around haphazardly.

"Don't just stand there!" The armored teen shouted hysterically. "Get me off of this—" He was cut off as the bike suddenly slammed into a large crate, sending him flying off — straight in their direction.

Ash's eyes widened as instinct took over. Tucking himself inward, he allowed the momentum to carry him forward as he landed with a roll. The teen threw his arms out, to stop himself just before barreling into his companions; inadvertently making himself look like a total badass to a certain ninja girl.

"Whew…" He breathed a sigh of relief, his armor disappearing into particles of light. "Glad that's over with."

"That. Was. Awesome!" Yuffie exclaimed in starry-eyed wonder. Sora, Donald and Goofy just stared at her with an 'are-you-serious' face.

"Huh?" Ash turned to her in surprise. In the chaos, he'd completely forgotten she was there.

"I can see we have nothing to worry about if you guys are traveling with a strong guy like him!"

Again, the trio could only stare at her.

"Of course, I'd expect nothing else from the Chosen One!" Yuffie said with a wink. _That_ definitely caught the group off guard, as the trio's deadpan stare turned to open-mouthed shock. Ash was no different.

"Wh— How do you know that?" He asked incredulously.

"We know quite a bit about you, Mister Ketchum," the ninja giggled. "Your friend was _convinced_ that you'd be right in the middle of everything that's been going on. And since you're traveling with these guys, it seems he was right."

"Wait, my friend?" Ash's eyes widened. "O-One of my friends is here?"

"Not just _one_ ," Yuffie said with a sly grin. "Come on! We're holed up at Merlin's house. Just follow me, handsome."

"R-Right!" The trainer exclaimed. Sora clapped him on the back.

"See, Ash?" He said with a smile. "Told you we'd find your friends." Ash just beamed at him in response. The group quickly hurried after the self-proclaimed ninja master as she lead them down the winding streets of Hollow Bastion.

As they walked on, Ash took note of his surroundings. There was something… incredibly familiar about this place. "I feel like I've been here," he mumbled to himself.

"Again?" Donald demanded, shooting him an annoyed stare. "Is this gonna be a thing with you from now on?"

Ash shook his head. "It's different from before," he insisted. "I can't explain it. But… It's like I already know my way around here. I can tell you exactly how to get back to the bazaar from here despite the fact that I haven't been paying attention for the past few minutes."

"That _is_ weird," Sora remarked with a small frown. "Could… you actually have been here before?"

"I'm pretty sure I'd have remembered if I'd traveled through space before," Ash said dryly. The group fell silent for a while.

"Hey, Yuffie." Sora spoke up after several minutes of walking. "Can you remember if you've ever met Ash before today?"

"Can't stay I have." The girl shook her head, much to the group's disappointment. "But I'm _very_ glad I got to~!" She said this while throwing a wink the the boy's direction. Ash merely gave her a weak smile. "Anyway, it's good to see you guys again. I had a feeling I would."

Sora gave a small grin before placing a hand in front of his face, posing in a dramatic manner. " _We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other_ ," he said in a deep, grumbling voice.

Yuffie almost choked. "Was that supposed to be Leon?" she asked incredulously. The boy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as everyone laughed at the rather bad impression. "Anyway, bad impressions aside, it looks like we're here!"

The quartet stopped and gazed at the rather indescript door nestled in an equally unremarkable building. Had Yuffie not pointed it out, they'd have likely walked right passed it. Despite his earlier apprehension about his spotty memory, Ash felt a bubble of excitement building up within him. One of his friends was behind that door! No, not just _one_ — if Yuffie was to be believed.

"Well, what are we waiting fo—" Ash was cut off as something came barreling through the door and straight into him. "AAH!"

"What the—"

"Ash?!" Sora exclaimed, staring at the purple… thing that was currently smothering his companion.

"Gerhhh!" The raven-haired teen's voice was muffled by his assailant. As soon as he opened his mouth however, the most horrific taste flooded his senses; nearly causing him to vomit on the spot.

"What is that thing?" Donald cried out, throwing a hand over his nostrils. "It reeks!"

Ash used all his strength to lift the creature off of him before tossing it aside; it's gelatinous form bouncing harmlessly off the cobblestone road. Taking several gasping breaths (and dry heaving several times), the trainer finally got a look at his "attacker".

"Muk?!" he cried out incredulously.

"Mu mu mu Muuuuk!" The poison-type Pokemon exclaimed happily.

"Er, friend of yours, Ash?" Goofy chuckled nervously, waving a hand in front of his nose in an attempt to waft the smell away. It didn't work.

"I-It's one of my Pokemon!" The teen said, still staring at the creature in shock. A beeping noise came from his glasses as it automatically scanned Muk. Once again, the familiar voice of Dexter flowed out.

" **Muk — The Sludge Pokemon and the evolved form of Grimer. This Pokémon's favorite food is anything that is repugnantly filthy. Muk is currently not known to evolve further."**

"Aw, jeez…" Yuffie grimaced, pinching her nose shut. "Professor, I thought we told you that thing needed to go to the ranch with the others!"

"Oh, dear. I'm so sorry about that." A familiar voice drifted over from within the house. Ash's head snapped up just in time to see the wizened head of Professor Oak poke out from the doorway. "Muk is a quite affectionate. He hates to be left alone for too long."

"P-Professor Oak!" Ash blurted out. "You're here?!"

"Ah, Ash m'boy!" The elderly man smiled at him. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

"You knew I'd come here?" he asked incredulously. The professor merely rolled his eyes.

"Ash, lad." Oak shook his head with a small smirk. "You're _always_ involved when the world goes topsy-turvy. _Always_."

"From what you've told us, that seems to be true." Sora pointed out.

Donald nodded. "Yup."

Ash just sweatdropped, gently prodding Muk away from him as it attempted to hug him once more. "It's not _that_ bad…" he grumbled before shaking his head. "But that's besides the point! Professor! Are my other Pokemon here? What about my friends? My _mom?_ "

"Now, now…" The old man held up a hand. "Why don't you boys come in first. This isn't exactly something to be discussed out in the open. Besides, there are several people that have been waiting for the two of you."

Sora and Ash blinked in unison. "Both of us?"

"Indeed," Professor Oak stepped aside, allowing them entrance to the building. Yuffie was the first to step inside, a merry bounce to her gait.

"They're right in here!" She exclaimed, gesturing into the adjacent room, just visible from the entrance.

From what Ash could see, there was a large computer taking up a good portion of the room, upon which a middle-aged blond man typed furiously, a cigarette bobbing up and down in his mouth as he gnawed on it irritably.

Beside him were two younger brunettes; one male and one female. The guy appeared to be slightly older and wore black leather. A prominent scar across his face gave him a rather intimidating appearance.

The girl was a few years younger; with sea-green eyes and a braided ponytail. She wore a pastel pink dress and a pair of working boots. But Ash was more concerned with a blond boy sitting beside the computer, fiddling with some strange device.

The boy had fair skin and light blue eyes, over which he wore a pair of wire rimmed glasses. Dressed in a blue jumpsuit that was stained with oil and other such fluids, he looked very much like a young engineer. But moreover, this was someone Ash was very familiar with, having traveled with him for nearly a year.

"Clemont?!" Ash shouted, his jaw dropping. Everyone jumped slightly at the unexpectedly loud voice. The blond's eyes lit up upon seeing who it was that had called out to him.

"Ash!" The bespectacled boy grinned. "Finally decided to show up, huh?"

"It's good to see you safe, Clemont," the raven-haired trainer said with a relieved smile.

"Likewise." The blond nodded as the two of them shared a fist bump. "I like the new glasses, by the way. You trying to copy me?"

"Something like that." Ash grinned at him. "So, where's Bonnie?"

"She's over at the ranch with Tracey," Clemont said with a wry smile. "She fell in love with all your Pokemon, so she's helping him look after them. Leon and the gang were kind enough to take us in, so the Professor and I have been helping out around here."

"So, everyone's safe then." The Kanto native felt relief flooding through him, only to tense upon seeing the uneasy look on his friend's face.

"Well, about that… You see…"

"Oi!" A gruff voice cut in, startling both of them. They both turned to see the older blond man sending them an irate look. "Enough jabberin', Lemon Boy. We need to get this thing up and running."

Clemont made an affronted face at the nickname, but strode over to the computer regardless; though not before throwing an apologetic look towards Ash. The black-haired teen shook his head as the two began trading technical jargon that he had neither the capacity or desire to understand.

The pink-clad girl smiled at them. "It's good to see you again," she told Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"I knew we'd be seeing you sooner or later." The scarred man gave them a small smirk before turning towards the only party member he hadn't met yet. "So, I take it this is the one you and Clemont were talking about, Professor?"

"Indeed, he is." The Pokemon Professor then gestured towards each of them in turn. "Ash, this is Squall Leonhart, though he prefers to go by Leon. Beside him is Aerith Gainsborough. And this is Cid Highwind. Everyone, this is Ash Ketchum. The boy has a knack for getting himself involved in world-ending situations."

"Hah!" Cid scoffed, exhaling a small puff of smoke as he did so. "And judging by the company he keeps, I'd say not much has changed."

"Oh, stuff it, Cid!" Yuffie barked. "You should have seen him out there! He's got this armor and can summon a _hoverbike!_ And he can even use Keyblades! He totally wrecked those weird white things that popped up!"

"Yeah… Wrecked…" Ash let out an awkward cough while Sora and the others merely gave him amused smirks. None of them had the heart to point out the fact that he'd totally BS'd his way through that.

"Hoverbike?" Leon repeated, raising an eyebrow. " _Keyblades?_ As in more than one?"

"Yeah!" Yuffie nodded enthusiastically. "How awesome is that?!"

"But I have two as well…" Sora mumbled, pouting childishly.

"You lost the contest," Donald said with a teasing grin. "Plus Ash was flashier; what with the lasers and explosions."

"But he didn't even know what he was doing!" the brown-haired boy complained. This all went ignored by the adults in the room.

"Hey," Ash spoke up, gently prodding Muk away as it tried to hug him once more. "This is great and all… But we could really use some info here."

Sora quickly sobered and nodded his agreement. "We're looking for Ash's friends as well as Riku and the King," he explained. "Do you guys know anything?"

"If you're talking about your Pokemon, they're fine," Professor Oak assured him. "As for your traveling companions… Well, that's a bit more complicated."

"Tracey, Bonnie and I are the only ones here, Ash," Clemont said grimly. "Bonnie and I were actually on our way to Pallet Town to meet back up with you. And Tracey was with Professor Oak when everything went crazy. I haven't seen head or tails of Serena since we split up in Kalos."

"Neither have we seen any signs of Misty, Brock, Dawn, May, Iris nor Cilan," Oak explained, patting the rapidly paling Ash on the shoulder. "And your mother… Well… No one has seen her since the Heartless came."

"N-No…" The teen whispered.

"I'm sorry to say that that's not all." Clemont continued with a grimace. "Your Pokemon are all accounted for… except six."

"I'll take a wild guess and say Pikachu, Charizard, Gardevoir, Sceptile, Greninja and Heracross?" Ash said weakly, to which Clemont could only nod. The trainer exhaled sharply, collapsing to the ground in exhaustion.

"Calm down, Ash," Sora said firmly. "We'll find them. All of them. Riku and the King, too."

"Yeah, no frowning, remember?" Donald spoke up.

"Our ship runs on happy smiles," Goofy dragged him to his feet with a smile. "Ya gotta think positive. Don't let the Heartless win."

"They're right, Ash," Yuffie exclaimed with a reassuring grin on her face. "Just because they haven't been found yet doesn't mean they're gone forever."

"Muuk Muuuuuk," the poison-type Pokemon said, finally managing to envelop its trainer in a hug, to both his amusement and chagrin.

"Alright, alright!" Ash chuckled. "That's enough! You win, Muk."

"Muk muk!" The Sludge Pokemon gave him a happy grin.

"Hey, I just noticed that Muk stopped smelling," Yuffie noted with no small amount of surprise.

"Indeed," Oak said with a smile. "That just goes to show how worried he's been. A trained Muk only really smells when they're distressed or overcome with emotion."

Ash smiled at his overly-affectionate Pokemon. "That true, Muk?" The poison-type gave a nod of agreement, prompting him to smile once more. Ash closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened them once more, everyone was relieved to see determination burning within his brown irises. "You guys are right. We'll get them back. Mom. My friends. My Pokemon. Riku and the King. All of them." He said, his tone brokering no argument.

"Right!" Sora, Donald and Goofy nodded resolutely.

Aerith smiled at their enthusiasm. "If you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask."

"In the meantime, why don't you go check on your Pokemon?" Professor Oak suggested. "I'm sure they've been worried sick about you."

"They're over at the old chocobo ranch," Yuffie explained, skipping towards the door. "C'mon, I'll show you the way!"

"Oi, ninja brat." Cid frowned at her. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"It can wait, Cid." This came from Leon, surprisingly enough. Cid turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "I know. I know. But… I want to see something for myself. If what Oak and the others say is true, then those Pokemon could be a huge help around here."

Understanding blossomed in the mechanic's eyes as he nodded. "Alright." He grumbled before turning to Clemont. "Lemon Boy! You're free to go. But after you've had your fun, get back here ASAP."

The younger blond simply groaned before nodding. Professor Oak chuckled before nodding at them. "You kids head on over to the ranch. I'll stay and help Cid."

"You heard the Professor," Cid waved them off. "Go on, get! You're just getting in the way!"

"Right..." Ash smiled weakly before turning to face his poison Pokemon. "You stay here with the Professor, Muk. Keep him safe, just in case the Heartless show up."

"Muuuk!" The creature nodded its understanding.

And so the group, with the new additions of Clemont, Aerith and Leon, made their way back outside. "Jeez..." Ash grumbled once the door had closed behind them. "Is Cid always like that?"

Aerith giggled at this. "He may seem a little rough around the edges," she said with a smile. "But he means well. And he really does appreciate your help, Clemont. You and the Professor have been a godsend with your technical knowledge."

"Hmph. But of course!" The blond smirked, adjusting his glasses. "My engineering skills are second to none! My inventions have always come in handy on our journeys. The future is now, thanks to science!"

As Aerith giggled, Ash pondered whether or not to mention that Clemont's inventions had a tendency to blow up in his face. As they finally reached their destination, Ash decided against it. He had more important things to attend to.

Before them was a much healthier-looking environment. The word "healthier" was completely relative, of course. All it meant was that there was actually _grass_ and _trees_ instead of the dead, purple earth that covered most of Hollow Bastion.

A large stable filled with hay was positioned on the easternmost side, with a large pond situated next to it. But more importantly, all around he could see various Pokemon going about their usual routines.

They were _his_ Pokemon.

No longer able to contain himself, Ash began sprinting forward, much to the surprise of his companions, bar Clemont; who alone understood Ash's bond with his Pokemon.

"Everyone!" He shouted, catching the attention of every creature within earshot. As one, they turned towards him, their eyes widening. Less than a second later, there was a stampede of Pokemon headed straight towards them, an enormous dust cloud blowing up behind them.

"Uhh…" Sora mumbled nervously as the dust cloud began to draw closer and closer. "Ash?"

"Do they usually do this?" Yuffie asked meekly as the cloud got even closer. Even Leon looked tense as they watched the oncoming horde.

"It's fine," Ash chuckled before throwing a single hand up. "Okay, stop!"

Unfortunately — unlike back in Pallet Town — the stampede did not halt itself and the group could only sweatdrop as the raven-haired trainer found himself dogpiled by a group of very enthusiastic pocket monsters.

"Mmmmmrrrgh!" the teen's muffled voice could barely be heard over the cacophony of sounds the Pokemon were shouting as they smothered their beloved trainer.

"Bay!" His Johto grass-type in particular was rubbing her head against him furiously. "Bay bay!"

"B-Bayleef…!" Ash wheezed. "Everyone… I know you were... worried but please… G-Get off…!"

"What's going on out here?" a voice called out from within the stable. The group turned in time to see a black-haired young man wearing a green tee-shirt and red shorts emerge from the building. Trailing behind him was a little blonde girl with an orange rodent riding on her head.

"Sorry for disturbing you, Tracey," Aerith said with an apologetic smile.

"It's no bother," the young man waved off her apologies. "We really owe you guys for setting us up with all of this."

"No one was using the ranch," Leon said, crossing his arms. "The chocobos ran off ages ago. It was just gathering dust out here with no one to look after it."

"Still…"

"Hey, not to be rude or anything, but shouldn't we do something about this?" Sora piped in, staring at the pile of Pokemon with a hint of concern.

"Ah, well that's—"

"Seriously though… Get… OFF!" Ash grunted, finally succeeding in prodding his overly-affectionate Pokemon off. "Whew… Thought I was a goner for a second…"

"Wait is that… ASH?!" the blonde girl spoke up for the first time, her jaw dropping in shock.

"Dene! Nene!" The rodent riding atop her head likewise cried out in surprise.

"Huh?" the teen turned towards the voice. His eyes lit up upon seeing who it was. "Bonnie! Tracey!"

"Oh, Ash!" The little girl dashed forward, enveloping the older boy in a hug. "Clemont and I were almost at Pallet when everything went crazy! We were so worried about you!"

"Dene!" the rodent nodded its agreement.

"Heh," Ash chuckled, rubbing the back of her head soothingly with his right hand and using his left to scratch her Pokemon behind the ears. "Sorry, Bonnie. You too, Dedenne."

"It's good to see you safe and sound, Ash," Tracey said with an earnest smile as he approached them.

"Likewise, Tracey," the Pallet native said with a grin. "And thanks for looking after my Pokemon while I was gone."

"It's part of my job as the Professor's assistant," the older teen chuckled. "Though I would have gladly done it even if I wasn't. I know you'd do the same if our situations were reversed."

"So, these are Pokemon, huh?" Sora questioned, examining Bulbasaur curiously.

"Yup," Ash answered with a wide smile. "These are my Pokemon. Everyone, this is Sora, Donald and Goofy. They've agreed to help us find our friends!" The assembled creatures all let out a resounding cheer at this.

"They're all so different," Goofy noted, looking at the widely varying shapes and sizes. "I knew you had lots of different ones, but I wasn't expectin' them to be so… well... _different_."

"And you battle with them, right?" Yuffie spoke up eagerly. "Professor Oak told us you were a strong battler or something!"

"I made it to the finals of the Kalos League," Ash said proudly. "I might've even become Champion, if Team Flare hadn't interrupted the League with their super weapon and Zygarde."

"Team Flare was going to use the legendary Pokemon, Zygarde's power to annihilate anyone not affiliated with them," Clemont explained. "But Ash, Alain and Diantha put a stop to them before they could unleash the weapon's power."

"He saved the world!" Bonnie piped in with a beaming smile.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Tracey added with a wry grin. Ash had turned bright red at this point, as everyone gave him admiring looks.

"It wasn't that big a deal," he mumbled. "My Pokemon did all the work."

"But you were the one who made them strong in the first place, Ash," Tracey said, patting him on the shoulder. "Without you, Froakie would still be stuck at Professor Sycamore's lab. Charmander would have waited on that rock forever. And Pikachu… well... You get my point."

"It was your drive and passion that allowed Ralts to evolve so quickly," Clemont nodded his agreement with the older teen's assessment. "And you're still the only trainer in over a thousand years to achieve Mega Evolution without a stone."

Ash could only nod numbly. While their attempts at a pep talk were certainly appreciated, their choice in examples only left him even more depressed. Fortunately, he wasn't allowed to wallow in his own pity for long, as Leon spoke up.

"Ash," The man said.

"What is it?" The trainer raised an eyebrow at the intensity of Leon's stare.

"Can we see?" Leon asked, a calculating gleam in his eye. "A Pokemon battle, I mean."

* * *

 **A/N: I had to cut it there because the chapter was getting too damn long. The next chapter should be ready relatively soon.**

 **So, yeah. I warned you that things would be different come this chapter. Change has been delivered. From what's been explained so far, you can probably already guess how things are gonna go in the near future.**

 **Also, I changed a few things regarding the backstory, since I finally caught up to the latest XY &Z episodes and it looks like Ash actually has a shot at winning the Kalos League. I made some changes in chapter 2 to reflect that.**

 **You can go back and re-read the chapter (yeah right) or just take note of the changes listed below:  
**

 **\- Ash made it to the finals of the Kalos League against Alain.**

 **\- The League was interrupted by Team Flare. (Further details provided in this chapter.)**

 **\- Clemont and Bonnie were traveling to Pallet Town when the Heartless attacked.**

 **\- Rivalry established between Bayleef and Gardevoir.**

 **\- Boke/tsukkomi established between Gardevoir and Greninja.**

 **\- Explanations were given as to where Ash obtained his Mega Stones.**

 **\- Greninja was given his Ash-Greninja form. (My god, this thing is a beast in XY &Z but I have to say, his voice is a lot cooler in the Japanese version. His English voice is just too high-pitched to have the same effect. Gekkouga FTW!)**

 **\- Gardevoir using Hyper Voice on Professor Oak. (You can't have Oak** _ **not**_ **be attacked due to his curiosity!) Also goes into slightly more detail about her origins. (Only slightly!)**

 **\- The reason for the restrictions on Megas has changed. It is now due to a 6v6 full Mega match between Steven Stone and an unnamed challenger.**

 **I'm pretty sure that's all. Anyway, I thank you for reading. Until next time!**

 **Your King**


	7. Of Battles and Organizations

**Chapter 7: Of Battles and Organizations**

* * *

"How 'bout it, Ash?" Leon asked pointedly. "We've been wanting to see a battle ever since the Professor explained what they are."

"Uh, now?" Ash questioned, blinking at him in surprise. "Well, I don't mind exactly, but…"

"Excellent." Leon smirked before turning towards the blond boy. "Do you mind being his opponent, Clemont? You and Tracey are the only ones with Pokemon and Tracey told me he's not much of a battler."

"M-Me?" the bespectacled teen stammered. "Well, uh…"

"You bet he will!" Bonnie cried out. "My brother may not be Champion-caliber like Ash, but he's still the gym leader of Lumiose City. He can't refuse a challenge!"

"Bonnie, don't decide these things for me!" Clemont cried out.

"I'm not exactly Champion-caliber either," Ash said weakly before looking towards his Pokemon, all of whom seemed eager for a fight. "But, I'm fine to battle if you are, Clemont."

The blond boy glanced at all the excited faces around him before sighing. "Alright."

"Awesome!" Sora exclaimed with an eager grin.

"I'll officiate the match," Tracey offered; to which Ash and Clemont nodded their assent. The group quickly cleared out of the way as the two trainers stood opposite each other on either side of the large clearing.

"What do you think, Clemont?" Ash called out. "Three on three exhibition match?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Exhibition match?" Sora asked Bonnie as the group stood on the sidelines. Ash's Pokemon stood on the opposite side of the makeshift battleground, awaiting their trainer's first choice.

"It's like a mock battle," the girl explained. "In this case, Ash and my brother will use three Pokemon, switching out after every battle no matter who wins. If it were an official-style match, they'd battle until all three Pokemon are unable to continue or until one of them gives up."

"I see…" The teen murmured just as Tracey took his place in the center of the field.

"This is a three on three exhibition match between Ash of Pallet Town and Clemont of Lumiose City!" he called out in a clear voice. "Both trainers, choose your first Pokemon!"

"Let's start out small," Ash muttered. "Snivy, I choose you!" From the crowd of Pokemon, a small, green, bipedal, snake-like Pokémon calmly strode towards the side her trainer stood.

"Bunnelby, you're up first!" Clemont exclaimed, throwing a Poke Ball onto the battlefield a few yards in front of him. From the ball, a small, grey rabbit-like creature appeared in a flash of light.

"Hmm..." Leon had a small frown on his face as he watched the two pint-sized Pokemon size each other up. "I was hoping for something a little more… impressive."

"Don't let their size fool you!" Bonnie said with a smirk. "Those tiny things pack one heck of a punch."

"Nene!" Dedenne cooed his agreement.

"Bunnelby versus Snivy," Tracey called out. "Begin!"

"Let's start with Vine Whip!" Ash ordered

"Dodge it and use Double Slap!" Clemont retorted.

Sora could only blink at the rapid exchange of orders. The Pokemon, on the other hand, responded immediately. The group watched as impossibly long vines extended from beneath Snivy's collar and came hurtling down towards Bunnelby at an alarming speed.

"Snivy overextended," Leon remarked as he watched the vines overshoot the agile bunny. "It's wide open."

"We'll see," Bonnie giggled just as the rabbit-like Pokemon began dashing forward.

"Use your vines to jump!" Ash called out.

"What?" Leon blinked in shock as Snivy quickly used her already extended vines to throw herself high into the air.

"Pokemon can do things humans have no chance of pulling off," the little girl said smugly as her brother ordered his Pokemon to jump after it.

"Wild Charge!" Clemont ordered. At his command, Bunnelby leapt up directly towards Snivy, its body completely shrouded in electricity.

Ash grinned. "Now use Leaf Storm!"

"Sniiiiiiii…" The grass-type began to rapidly spin as leaves began to sprout from its body. As she spun faster and faster, the leaves began to break off, causing her to become a whirlwind of razor sharp leaves.

"Viiiiiiiii!" With a whip of her tail, Snivy sent the leaves flying point blank into Bunnelby, sending the rabbit-like Pokemon hurtling into the ground.

"Now finish it off with Leaf Blade!" Ash called out.

"Bunnelby, dodge now!" Clemont shouted in alarm. Snivy dove towards the downed Pokemon, her tail glowing a bright green. Before Bunnelby could even fully stand, her tail slammed into him with earth-shattering force, forming a small crater from the impact and sending dust flying into the air.

The group could only watch this in utter shock and slight horror. "I-Is Bunnelby gonna be okay?!" Yuffie asked, her voice cracking slightly.

"Don't worry, Pokemon are super tough!" Bonnie said, patting her on the leg; as her shoulder was beyond reach. "See? Look there!"

As the dust settled, Bunnelby was revealed to have passed out into swirly-eyed unconsciousness. "Bunnelby is unable to battle!" Tracey declared before raising a hand towards Ash. "Snivy wins!"

"Alright!" Ash cheered. "Great job, Snivy!"

"Sniiiivy!" The Grass Snake Pokemon was clearly pleased by his praise, despite her attempts to appear indifferent.

"Okay…" Sora had a wide grin on his face as he spoke up. "I gotta admit. That was pretty cool."

"T-That's one strong snake…!" Yuffie mumbled, still not quite over her shock.

"And quite adorable as well," Aerith giggled before turning towards the bespectacled trainer. "Clemont, let me see Bunnelby. I'll have him healed up in no time."

Clemont jogged forward and picked up his fallen Pokemon before gently depositing it into Aerith's arms. "Thanks," he said with a smile, patting Bunnelby affectionately.

"It's nothing," the brunette returned the smile easily before turning her attention to the unconscious Pokemon and murmuring a healing spell. Clemont returned to his side of the battlefield, giving his opponent a calculating look.

' _I knew that Ash was a veteran trainer, but this is beyond what I'd been expecting,_ ' the gym leader thought. ' _We couldn't even_ _ **touch**_ _Snivy. Just how strong_ _ **are**_ _you, Ash?'_

"Since Ash won round one, he'll choose first this time," Tracey called out, to which Ash nodded. The black-haired trainer turned towards his assembled Pokemon with a thoughtful look on his face.

' _Clemont will probably use Quilladin or Luxray. Or maybe one of his electric-types from the Lumiose Gym,_ ' he thought to himself. ' _So, my best bet would probably be—'_

"Dile dile Totodiiiiiiile!" a voice interrupted his thoughts. Glancing down, Ash saw Totodile dancing at his feet, an eager grin on his face.

"Totodile?" He asked in surprise. "You wanna battle?"

"Diiiiiile!" The aquatic Pokemon nodded, the grin on his face widening.

"Well, alright then!" Ash exclaimed as the crocodilian gleefully danced onto the battlefield. "Totodile, I choose you!"

"A water-type, eh?" Clemont smirked. "Getting a little cocky, Ash? You should know what my answer will be! Quilladin, go!" In a flash of light, a green, bipedal, mammalian Pokemon with plant-like spines growing on its back materialized onto the field.

"An answer to Ash's Pokemon?" Donald questioned, noticing the blond's phrasing.

"Ash's Pokemon is a water-type," Bonnie explained. "So, my brother is using a grass-type to counter it, since grass is strong against water."

"So, he's at a disadvantage then." Leon stated.

"He is, but Ash has a knack for overcoming type-advantages," the young girl said with a grin.

"Gee, ya sure do know a lot, Bonnie," Goofy remarked, causing the girl to blush.

"I've been learning a lot from Professor Oak and Tracey," she said sheepishly. "There's not much I can do to help out around here, so I've been helping them take care of Ash's Pokemon. I gotta earn my keep somehow."

"You're more than welcome to stay as long as you need to, Bonnie," Aerith said with a gentle smile. "There's no need to earn your keep."

"Thank you, Aerith." The young girl smiled in return before a devious gleam entered her eye. She began speaking in a loud voice. "You're so gentle and loving, Aerith! Will you please marry my brother?!"

"Bonnie!" Clemont cried out, his face glowing crimson-red. Ash meanwhile, could only grin at the familiar scene.

"Oh, my!" The brunette woman giggled, placing both hands against her cheeks in faux shyness. "I'm quite flattered you think so highly of me." Aerith said this with an apologetic smile gracing her lovely face. "But I'm sorry to say that I'm holding out for someone."

"Aw, that's too bad." Bonnie groaned, ignoring her brother's indignant cries. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to have any cute friends that would be interested in him, would you?"

Seeing as Clemont looked ready to march over and begin a shouting match with his sister, Ash quickly coughed. He smiled as Clemont turned towards him with an annoyed look on his face. "Sorry, but Totodile is raring to go." The gym leader sighed, sending one last glare towards Bonnie before refocusing on the match at hand. Seeing both trainers ready to continue, Tracey nodded.

"Round two is Quilladin versus Totodile!" he exclaimed before raising his hands upward. "Begin!"

"Quilladin, use Pin Missile!" Clemont shouted.

"Counter with Water Gun!"

"Quiiiiiii…!" The spines along Quilladin's back began to glow yellow before launching themselves at its opponent. Totodile countered by spouting forth a powerful stream of water. The two attacks collided in mid-air, creating a deadlock as they both struggled for dominance.

"Go, Quilladin!"

"You can do it, Totodile!"

The two Pokemon's eyes narrowed as their respective attacks began to grow in ferocity. Eventually, the sheer intensity of the exchange caused it to erupt in an explosion, sending steam and dust flying. Clemont quickly shielded his eyes, only for them to widen as he heard Ash's next command. "Use Slash, straight ahead!"

"Needle Arm!" Clemont shouted in return. The sound of two hard objects colliding rang throughout the battlefield, giving off the impression of clashing blades. Over and over they clashed as the dust slowly began to settle.

Quilladin's arm glowed green as he thrusted his closed fist at his opponent. Totodile responded with extended claws glowing a bright white. Unfortunately, Quilladin was slowly gaining ground, forcing his opponent back with his superior height and weight. Ash grimaced slightly as he watched his Pokemon frantically dodge and deflect the rapid flurry of super-effective attacks.

That is, until he noticed a pattern.

Quilladin would perform a thrust. Then a sweep of its arm. Then a jab and another sweep. And repeat that same combo over and over. Slowly, Ash grinned. "Totodile, duck!" If the water-type was surprised by the seemingly random instructions, he didn't show it; instead complying with his trainer's orders without question.

And just as Ash had predicted, Quilladin had performed a sweep of his arm. The amount of displaced air the missed attack created was testament to the Pokemon's strength. But that same strength was what ultimately betrayed it as Quilladin staggered slightly.

"Now, use Bite!" The raven-haired teen shouted.

The aptly-named Big Jaw Pokemon responded in kind, opening its wide mouth and clamping down on his opponent's extended arm. But much to everyone's surprise, as soon as Totodile's teeth made contact, sheets of ice began to form on Quilladin's arm; causing the grass-type to cry out in surprise and pain.

"Wait, that's not Bite..." Ash mumbled, a surprised look on his face. "That's—"

"Ice Fang," Clemont finished with a grimace. "I should have known Totodile knew an ice-type move. There had to be a reason you sent it in."

' _Uh..._ ' the Kanto native thought, sweat-dropping slightly. ' _Should I tell him that was just a fluke?_ ... _Oh, well. Not gonna look a gift Ponyta in the mouth.'_

"Use Ice Fang one more time!" he ordered. "Then finish it with Water Gun!"

Totodile once more clamped his jaws around Quilladin's other limb just as the grass-type attempted to ward it off with another Needle Arm. With both of his opponent's arms frozen, Totodile back-flipped and fired off a Water Gun, sending his opponent flying into a nearby tree.

"Quilladin!" Clemont cried out. Tracey jogged over and examined the downed Pokemon before nodding.

"Quilladin is unable to battle!" he declared. "Totodile wins!"

"Alright!" Ash cheered.

"And that's two wins for Ash!" Bonnie cheered as well. Totodile was currently dancing in joy as his trainer strode over to congratulate him. Everyone froze however, when the water-type was suddenly enveloped in a bright blue light.

"What's happening?!" Sora exclaimed as they watched Totodile's form begin to rapidly grow beneath the near-blinding glow.

"It's evolving!" Bonnie squealed.

"Totodile…" Ash murmured in awe. It never got old. The feeling of elation and excitement at seeing the fruits of your Pokemon's efforts was incredible. A feeling of pride welled up inside of him as the light of evolution finally subsided, revealing his Pokemon's new form to the world.

"Croconaw!" The creature called out proudly.

"Great job, Croconaw," Ash said with a wide grin. His glasses let out a ping as it scanned the newly evolved Pokemon.

" **Croconaw — The Big Jaw Pokemon and the evolved form of Totodile. Once Croconaw has clamped its jaws on its foe, it will absolutely not let go. Because the tips of its fangs are forked back like barbed fishhooks, they become difficult to remove when they have sunk in. This Pokemon evolves into Feraligatr.** "

"Okay, now that is one cool-looking Pokemon," Sora acknowledged with a grin. Clemont on the other hand just shook his head bemusedly. Only Ash would win with a type-disadvantage and _then_ have his Pokemon evolve. He quickly retrieved Quilladin and whispered words of thanks before making his way over towards Aerith. True to her word, Bunnelby looked good as new as it sat in her lap.

"Sorry, Aerith," the blond said sheepishly. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," the woman nodded with a gentle smile. Clemont left his injured Pokemon with the group's resident healer before turning back towards Ash, who was still celebrating with Croconaw.

"Well, since you have two wins, you've technically already won our match," he said with a wry grin. "But my pride as a gym leader won't allow me to just roll over and accept defeat. Prepare your final Pokemon. Luxray, go!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Ash grinned in return as a blue and black lion-like Pokemon materialized on the field. The creature let out a fierce roar as it emerged and it was clear that some of his smaller Pokemon were intimidated by it.

"Luxray is my brother's strongest Pokemon," Bonnie explained to the spectators as they admired the powerful creature. Leon in particular seemed quite taken with it, if the smirk on his face was any indication. "The last time these two battled, Luxray swept through two of Ash's Pokemon; one of them being Pikachu. And it's only gotten stronger since then."

"Sounds powerful!" Yuffie exclaimed excitedly. "I wonder what Ash's got up his sleeve."

' _That's right,_ ' Ash thought with a frown. ' _That Luxray is no pushover. My best bet would be a ground-type. But I'm certain Clemont is prepared for that. I wouldn't be surprised if it knows an ice-type move. But I_ _ **do**_ _have a Pokemon that's defeated a Luxray before. One that isn't weak to a potential ice-type attack...'_

"Infernape, I choose you!" Ash exclaimed. A white, monkey-like creature with golden armor and a flame burning brightly atop its head let out a howl of approval before eagerly dashing onto the battlefield.

"Infernape, huh?" Clemont smirked slightly. "Not going with a ground-type?"

"Since Luxray's only weakness is ground, I figured you'd have a counter for it," the raven-haired teen replied with a grin before quickly scanning Infernape with his Dex-glasses. If the fire-type had learned a new move, Ash wanted to know beforehand.

The results were… interesting. " _Very_ interesting," he grinned. "You've been training, haven't you, buddy?"

"Infernape!" The Flame Pokemon gave him a thumbs up with a grin of his own.

"The final match is Luxray versus Infernape!" Tracey once more raised both his arms skyward. "Begin!"

"Use Swift!" Clemont ordered. Luxray let out a roar as its tail began to glow bright white.

"Avoid it with Dig!" Ash commanded just as the lion whipped its tail forward, sending a stream of star-shaped energy towards the fire-type. Infernape responded in kind, rapidly digging underground. Luxray's attack struck the ground where Infernape had been standing moments prior, sending a cloud of dust into the air but otherwise doing nothing.

"Oh?" Clemont grinned. "A ground-type move, huh? Not bad, not bad... Luxray, use Electric Terrain!"

' _Here it comes!'_ Ash thought in anticipation. Luxray growled as it unleashed a surge of electricity, energizing the entire battlefield.

"What just happened?" Donald asked, warily watching the electricity streaking across the field.

"Electric Terrain powers up all electric-type attacks," Bonnie explained as she watched Luxray anxiously. "So, if Infernape gets hit by one, it's _really_ gonna sting."

"Infernape, now!" Ash cried out.

"Too predictable!" Clemont exclaimed. "Thunder Fang!" Just as Infernape burst through the ground beneath Luxray, the blue lion clamped its jaws around the monkey's fist. The Flame Pokemon let out a screech of pain as the empowered attack sent electricity coursing through its body.

"Retaliate with Mach Punch!"

"Toss it and use Swift!"

As Infernape reared its other fist back, Luxray reared its head and hurled the fire-type into the air. Whipping its tail back, the appendage glowed white for a split second before sending a stream of energy straight into its opponent. "Infernape!" Ash grimaced as his Pokemon landed before him, hurt but otherwise still battle-ready.

"Whoa," Sora mumbled. "Ash is actually being pushed back." It was a surprise to him, as the Kanto native had been dominating the match thus far.

"Ash may have been in the running for Kalos League Champion," Bonnie said with a grin. "But my brother is no pushover."

"Use Mach Punch to close in!"

"Intercept with Thunder Fang!"

"Now use Thunder Punch with your other hand!" Ash shouted.

"Wait, what?" Clemont exclaimed incredulously. "Thunder Punch?!"

Infernape screeched before landing an electricity-laced left hook straight in the surprised Luxray's face. Despite not being very effective, the empowerment from Electric Terrain still caused a significant amount of damage as Luxray was sent skidding backwards.

"Don't let up!" Ash cried, not liking the distance created by that last attack. "Mach Punch!"

"Swift once more!" Clemont ordered, taking full advantage of that distance. Luxray once again fired off a stream of stars, hitting Infernape point blank in the chest just as its fist was about to make contact with the lion. The monkey Pokemon let out a screech as it was sent flying backwards.

"Now finish it with Wild Charge!" The gym leader shouted triumphantly. Luxray let out an earth-shattering roar as its entire body was enveloped in electricity. Dashing towards the staggering Infernape, the lion rammed into its opponent, sending it flying into a nearby tree.

"Infernape!" Ash cried out.

"Excellent, Luxray!" Clemont cheered before grinning at his opponent. "Well, Ash, it looks like this one is—"

He was cut off by an ear-splitting screech that forced everyone nearby to cover their ears. Turning towards the source, Clemont was shocked to see Infernape staggering to its feet, the flame on its head burning with even greater intensity than before as its eyes glowed a menacing red.

"It looks like Blaze has finally activated," Ash said with a grin before turning to meet Clemont's stupefied gaze.

"What is Blaze?!" Sora cried, staring at the fire-type whose entire body seemed to be radiating incredible heat.

"Blaze is the ability all fire-type starters have!" Bonnie exclaimed. "It only activates when a Pokemon is badly injured, but in return it boosts the power of all its fire-type attacks!"

* * *

 **Pokemon BW - Decisive Battle (Last Pokemon) Remastered ~** _watch?v=yT1unx3jWxM_

* * *

"I hope you're ready!" Ash roared. "Cause the real battle starts now!" Infernape screeched his approval, pounding his powerful arms against the ground.

"We'll see about that!" Clemont shouted as Luxray let out a low snarl. "Luxray, use Swift!"

"Avoid it with Dig and immediately resurface!" Ash called out. "Then close in with Flare Blitz!" Infernape deftly avoided the star-stream by delving underground. Half a second later, it burst out directly in front of Luxray, its entire body coated in bright blue flames. With a great screech, the ape rammed into his opponent, damaging both of them in the process.

"Thunder Fang!" Clemont shouted.

"Thunder Punch!" Ash retorted.

The two attacks collided, causing an explosion and sending both Pokemon skidding backwards, both of them visibly panting from exertion. Sora was practically on the edge of his proverbial seat as he watched the ongoing fight. The others were no different. Even the unflappable Leon seemed to be completely engrossed at this point.

"The next move will decide the match!" Bonnie exclaimed excitedly as the two trainers glared at each other.

"Luxray!" Clemont called out.

"Infernape!" Ash shouted.

"Wild Charge!"

"Flare Blitz!"

" **FULL POWER!** "

Luxray let out a fearsome roar as it wreathed its entire body in crackling electricity, the attack further enhanced by Electric Terrain. Infernape let out his own challenging shriek as its body ignited itself, his own attack empowered by Blaze. As one, the two charged, their bodies blurring into brilliant shades of yellow and blue; sheer, unrestrained power radiating off their forms. And then, in an enormous flash of light and equally enormous explosion, the two collided in the center of the battlefield, sending dust and smoke flying in all directions.

The trainers and spectators could only wait with baited breath as the dust settled excruciatingly slow. When it did, Tracey strode forward, examining both Pokemon before making his verdict.

"Both Luxray and Infernape are unable to battle!" He declared. "This battle is a draw. But with a record of 2-0, victory goes to Ash of Pallet Town!"

Ash released a breath he hadn't known he was holding. The teen jogged over towards his downed Pokemon and smiled as he helped it rise into a sitting position. "You did great, Infernape." He said softly. "That Luxray is no joke. It took out both Hawlucha and Pikachu and nearly took out Goodra during our gym battle."

"Nape…" the monkey smiled weakly.

"Here," he heard Donald say as a soft green light began to surround the Pokemon. "My healing magic isn't as strong as Aerith's, so take this potion too."

Ash took the item gratefully and bid Infernape to drink it. Though displeased with the taste, the Flame Pokemon couldn't disagree with the results. In mere minutes, he was standing once again, though still visibly exhausted. From across the battlefield, Ash watched as Aerith finished healing Luxray. Clemont whispered several words of thanks to both it and Aerith before returning Luxray to its Poke Ball and striding over towards Ash and Infernape.

"Well, it looks like it's my loss," he said with a wry smile.

"You put up one heck of a fight, Clemont," Ash said earnestly as the two shook hands. "Seriously. Luxray is a terror on the battlefield."

"Infernape!" The fire-type nodded its agreement. That Luxray was even stronger than Volkner's had been and that was saying something!

"Ash! Clemont!" Sora called out as the group jogged over to them with wide grins on their faces (or a small smirk in Leon's case). "That was awesome!"

"Especially that last battle!" Yuffie piped in. "It was back and forth, back and forth. And then one final clash to decide it. The fact that it ended in a draw just made it even more awesome!"

"You fought well, all of you," Leon said, nodding at both of them and Infernape as well. "Which brings me to this. Ash… I've got a favor to ask you."

"What is it?" The trainer asked in surprise.

"You know… I think it would be easier to just show you." The man turned and gestured back towards town. "Ash, Sora, Donald, Goofy. All of you, meet me in the Bailey once you're done here. There's something you need to see."

"Right…"

Clemont smiled at him. "I should probably get back to Cid," he said, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "It was seriously good to see you, Ash. I know that you're going to go look for the others. I wish I could go with you, but honestly? I think I'd be of more use here. But... it you ever need anything — anything at all — don't hesitate to ask. You know where to find me."

"I will." Ash nodded firmly as the two shook hands one last time. "I'll find Serena. My Pokemon. My friends. My… My mom... _Everyone_. I'll find a way to restore our world. And then we'll all go home together."

"I look forward to it," the blond boy said with a smile before making his way back towards Merlin's house. Ash watched him go with mixed feelings. On one hand, he still hated saying goodbye to his friends, even if it was only temporary. But on the other hand, he couldn't help but feel relieved that Clemont and the others would be staying out of the whole Heartless business. And he knew Leon and the rest of the Committee would keep them safe for as long as they stayed in Hollow Bastion.

"You know, Yuffie said they were holed up in Merlin's house, didn't they?" Sora spoke up, breaking Ash out of his reverie. "It's a little strange that we haven't run into him…"

"You called?" a voice echoed throughout the area, causing everyone to jump in shock. A cloud of smoke materialized in front of them, from within which stepped an old man wearing light blue robes and a wizard's hat; not unlike Yen Sid's.

"Merlin!" Donald exclaimed.

"There you are!" Yuffie exclaimed. "You missed out on the battle! It was amazing!"

"Oh, I saw everything, dear." The wizard chuckled. "Did you think the scrying orb in my house was for show?" He turned towards Ash and winked. "An impressive showing if I do say so myself!" He then turned to face Aerith. "Have you given them the cards yet, dear?"

The brunette woman gasped. "Oh!" she exclaimed, reaching into one of her pockets. "I completely forgot in all the excitement!" She retrieved four identical cards and handed them to the party. "Here, presents for you. Leon thought you'd might like to have them. Clemont, Bonnie, Tracey and the Professor already have their own."

Sora took his card and read aloud. "Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee... Honorary Member!?"

"Membership cards!" Donald exclaimed gleefully.

"Feels kinda cool, don't it?" Goofy chuckled.

" _Very_ cool." Ash grinned. "Thanks, Leon…" He turned, only to be greeted with empty space. "Oh, that's right…"

"We're supposed to be at the Bailey!" Sora exclaimed. "Let's go—"

"Just a moment now!" Merlin halted them. "What about your magic, Sora?"

"Huh?" Was Sora's oh-so-intelligent reply. "Oh... uh..."

"Now what am I to do with you?" Merlin sighed. "I suppose I'll have to lend you a few spells. But be careful with them!"

Two orbs of differing colors appeared before them. Blue in front of Sora and yellow in front of Ash. Grasping hold of the orb, Ash was only slightly surprised when it was absorbed into his body. It seems he _was_ acclimating to all the magic mumbo-jumbo; albeit slowly. Ash felt a humming energy fill his body; making him feel twitchy and restless. Beside him, he saw Sora shudder, his skin going pale for several moments before returning to normal.

"I've given Sora a basic Blizzard spell," Merlin explained. "Ash, you've been given a basic Thunder spell. I can tell you're in a hurry, so ask Donald how to utilize it on the way there."

"I will," Ash nodded.

"Thanks, Merlin!" Sora exclaimed.

Donald rolled his eyes. "Great, more work for me," he grumbled. Goofy just chuckled at him.

"Let's head on over to the Bailey, then."

Ash nodded his agreement and turned towards Infernape. "Why don't you take a rest," he said with a smile. "You've earned it."

The primate gave him a tired nod before lumbering towards the chocobo stables, looking ready to sleep the rest of the day away. Normally Ash would have recalled his Pokemon into their Balls to rest since the devices were specifically designed for Pokemon comfort. But seeing as neither he nor Professor Oak had any spares, they'd have to make due with roughing it in the stables.

"Alright, let's—"

"Naw! Croconaw!" Ash was once again surprised to see Croconaw at his feet, tugging at his jeans. Bayleef was beside him, rubbing her head against him affectionately.

"Croconaw? Bayleef? What is it?"

"Croc! Croco!"

"Baaaay…"

"...You wanna come with?" the trainer guessed. The crocodilian Pokemon nodded with an eager grin that looked slightly intimidating on his new form. "Alright, sure. Why not?"

"Well, if there are no more interruptions," Donald said irritably. "Let's head over to the bailey. I still need to teach you how to use that spell Merlin gave you, Ash."

"Right."

* * *

It was simple enough finding the meeting place Leon had designated. Unlike their experience in Twilight Town, Ash had been surprisingly capable in navigating through the winding streets of Hollow Bastion. The trainer still had his misgivings about this unexplained knowledge of the world, but he wasn't about to complain. They found the leather-clad man leaning against an archway. Just behind him was what appeared to be an overhanging balcony. Leon nodded at them before gesturing out into the canyons below. "Take a look at that."

The party followed his gaze, only to stiffen in shock. Literally _thousands_ of Heartless were teeming through the canyon walls. Ash felt his heart clench at the sight of them. It was far too reminiscent of the attack on Pallet. He was broken out of his despairing memories by the sound of his Pokemon snarling. Glancing down in surprise, he saw Croconaw's lip had risen, exposing dozens of razor sharp teeth. Bayleef had pressed herself closer against him and was glaring menacingly at the horde of shadows.

"Easy, guys," he whispered, rubbing his Pokemon on their heads soothingly, despite he himself feeling his fight-or-flight instincts working overtime.

"We wanted to restore Hollow Bastion to what it used to be," Leon said with a tired sigh. "Who knows? Maybe even something better. We've come a long way and there's still a lot to do, but I'm certain we can handle it. Everything except _that_."

"How?" Ash croaked. "How have you even gotten this far with… _that_ just around the corner."

"It wasn't easy," the man grimaced. "For the first few months, we had to claw our way into town inch by inch. We managed to push them into the canyons and from there, we forced them into a bottleneck so they couldn't use their numbers to their advantage. Eventually, the number of attacks whittled down until they became practically nonexistent."

"The Heartless just… stopped?" Sora asked incredulously.

"Believe me, I'm just as suspicious as you are," Leon scowled. "The Heartless are supposed to be mindless. They're supposed to be relentless. But from the looks of things, they seem to be biding their time. We've been prepping our defenses for months now. You saw for yourself, if I'm not mistaken."

"The defense mechanism we saw earlier!" Donald exclaimed. The scarred man nodded.

"If they think they can take the homes we fought and bled for, they've got another thing coming." Leon growled out. He paused and took a breath. "Which is what brings me to this, Ash… I know this is a lot to ask… But, please lend us your Pokemon."

"Huh?" The raven-haired teen blurted out in surprise.

"When the Heartless attack — and I do mean _when_ — this town will become a warzone," the man said solemnly. "And the townspeople will be in the most danger. I won't ask that they fight on the front lines. But… If they could help protect the town and the people inside, I'd be eternally grateful."

"I… I was hoping that they'd come with me," Ash said with a sigh. "What with the Heartless and the Nobodies and Organization XIII running around…"

"You called?" a deep voice reverberated throughout the bailey. The entire group stiffened as one.

"You're certainly doing well..." another voice said, prompting Sora to narrow his eyes and dash out onto the stairs leading into the canyons. Donald and Goofy were quick to follow him.

"Let's go," Ash said to his Pokemon before dashing after them, Croconaw and Bayleef at his heels. Reaching the stairway, he saw Sora had summoned his Keyblade and was glaring at the rooftops.

"Show yourselves!" The brunet snarled.

"I believe this calls for a celebration..." Out of nowhere, Dusks began to materialize on the stairwell. Donald let out a snarl as he and Goofy rushed to intercept them. Sora made to follow them when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw more of them begin to form behind them, surrounding Leon.

* * *

 **Desire for All That Is Lost ~ Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX Remastered OST ~** _watch?v=tUxhziTCxJA_

* * *

"Go!" Ash shouted at him. "Help Donald and Goofy! We've got this." Sora nodded at him before dashing off to help their friends. Ash turned his attention towards the surrounded Leon, who had drawn a peculiar weapon that appeared to be part gun and part sword.

"Water Gun!" He ordered. "Razor Leaf!"

Croconaw inhaled, his chest bulging for a second before unleashing a powerful torrent of water at the encroaching Dusks. Beside him, Bayleef reared her head back before whipping it forward once more, sending razor sharp leaves from the stem atop her head.

The combined attack destroyed several Nobodies at once and scattered the rest. Leon was quick to go on the offensive, easily slashing his way through two before furrowing his brow as the remaining Dusks ignored him in favor of dashing towards the open gates leading back to town. Immediately, his eyes widened in realization.

"The gate!" Leon roared. "We can't let them into town!"

Ash was already in motion before he even finished speaking. Summoning his Keyblades into existence, he dashed forward, slashing through as many as he could on his way towards the entrance. "Vine Whip!" He shouted. "Bayleef, restrain as many as you can!"

The sauropod allowed herself only a moment of surprise at her trainer's newfound abilities before complying. From the stubs on her neck, vines extended, entrapping as many Nobodies as she could. That left ten more.

"Croconaw, Water Gun!" Ash ordered as he and Leon dispatched two and four, respectively. The blue crocodile let loose an enormous stream of water, slamming the remaining Dusks into the opposing wall and causing them to dissolve into wispy particles.

"Bay!" His grass-type cried out in pain as the ones she had restrained were beginning to break loose by using their needle-like legs to attack the vines restricting them.

"Shut the gate!" Ash shouted towards Leon as he rushed to aid his Pokemon. "We'll handle the rest."

The man nodded and quickly set to work sealing the entrance. Ash dashed forward, stabbing clear through a Dusk with Oathkeeper before leaping over another, using Oblivion to slice through its head. Both shattered into particles of light. He glanced to his left to see another Dusk trying to sneak up behind him.

' _Well, might as well try it out…_ ' He pointed Oathkeeper at the silvery-creature and shouted. "Thunder!"

A truly pitiful spark of electricity fizzled out upon making contact with the Nobody. Gritting his teeth, he leapt out of the way as it attempted to disembowel him with its claws. Before he could think to retaliate however, a hail of leaves pieced through the creature, destroying it.

Ash cast a grateful look towards his Johto grass starter before a blur of motion caught his eye.

"Croconaw, behind you!" He cried out, seeing a Dusk leaping at his water starter. The blue Pokemon responded immediately by pivoting on his heel; his tail completely enshrouded by water. Ash could only blink in surprise as the attack immediately destroyed the Nobody.

"That was Aqua Tail..." the teen murmured, staring at his water-type with an impressed look on his face. "You're just full of surprises today, aren't you?" He turned to face Bayleef just in time to see her destroy the remaining Dusks with a well-placed Body Slam.

"Good job, you two," Ash said as they both approached him. He rubbed each of their heads affectionately. "Especially you, Croconaw. Two new moves and an evolution? You've been working hard, haven't you?"

"Croconaw!" The Big Jaw Pokemon puffed his out chest proudly.

"Baaay…!" His grass-type counterpart whined, butting her head against his legs. The teen chuckled before patting her once again.

"Yes, yes, you too, Bayleef," he said with a smile. "Thank you. Both of you." He quickly sobered up as he glanced out to where he'd last saw Sora and the others. "But we're not done yet. Let's go." The three of them made their way back out onto the stairwell just in time to see Sora, Donald and Goofy finish off the last of their adversaries.

"Sora!" Ash called out. "You guys okay?"

"Yeah," the other boy nodded before glancing behind the trainer in concern. "Where's Leon?"

"He's sealing the gate to keep the Nobodies out," the black-haired teen explained. "But more importantly, where are the punks that were speaking earlier?"

"Punks, huh?" One of the voices spoke up, echoing throughout the bailey. "Now that's just rude." Sora grit his teeth and glared at the surrounding buildings.

"I'm getting real tired of this!" He growled, clutching his Keyblade tightly. "Show yourselves, cowards!"

"Hmm… The Keyblade," the original voice spoke up, ignoring Sora's provocations. "A truly marvelous weapon. Were it only in more… capable hands."

Both teens felt themselves bristling as several more voices began laughing. "Come out!" Ash snarled. Immediately, a black hole seemed to open atop one of the buildings across from them. A dark miasma began to seep from the portal as a cloaked figure slowly stepped out. All around them, more portals began to appear; each of them bringing with them a black-cloaked figure.

"Organization XIII…!" Goofy murmured as Ash's Pokemon began snarling at the mysterious group.

"Good!" Sora growled, his hands were clutched around his Keyblade so tightly they turned a pale white. "Then we can settle this here and now!"

"What a shame..." the first figure said, his voice practically dripping with irony. The figure turned to look at Ash and for a split second, the boy felt his heart leap into his throat. The moment passed as the figure returned his attention to the group as a whole. "And here I thought we could be friends." The other Nobodies laughed, and all six of them disappeared into their portals once more.

"Stop!" Donald shouted furiously before dashing towards the stairs. Before he could even reach the first step however, a portal appeared before him; blocking his path. The duck let out a squawk of surprise as he skid to a halt. "You!" He snarled at the Nobody that stepped out. " What's the big idea? Disappearing and reappearing all willy-nilly?!"

"Oopsy- _daisy!_ " the cloaked figure said sarcastically.

"Who are you?" Ash demanded as his Pokemon both snarled at the man.

"Whoa, there, pal," the Nobody scoffed. "How 'bout you put a leash on those mutant freaks and _then_ we'll talk."

"They're not freaks!" he spat, his eyes gleaming dangerously.

"Oooh, I remember that look," the cloaked man chuckled. " _He_ used to give me the exact same glare. I wasn't expecting to meet again so soon..."

"What are you going on about?" Sora demanded, prompting the man to laugh even louder.

"Oh, yeah, and how could I forget _that_ one?" His voice was overflowing with mirth. Ash's glare intensified as he immediately felt a great dislike for this man. He glanced down and met Croconaw's eye. The trainer subtly gestured towards the Organization member and the water-type nodded. Slowly, the Pokemon began to inch to the left as the Nobody continued to laugh.

"If you don't answer us, then we'll _make_ you talk!" Donald snarled, a vein beginning to throb on his forehead.

"See, that would work — if I were just any old dude." The man scoffed at the threat, clearly not intimidated in the least. "'Cept I'm _not_. I'm with the Organization. Nothing _'any old_ ' about me."

Sora was about to attack when he saw Croconaw inching his way behind the man, who still had his gaze locked on him and Ash. The brunet's eyes widened slightly before quickly schooling his face. "Oh, yeah?" Sora smirked, resolving himself to stall for as long as possible. "That's some tough talk for some old geezer who stood on the sidelines while his flunkies did all the fighting!"

"Oho," the man laughed condescendingly. "Is _that_ the impression you got? Oh, dear. Now that won't do. Not at all."

"Gonna cry?" the Keyblader shot back.

"As if!" The man scoffed. "Now, why don't I remind you just how tough the crowd you're dealing with really is…"

"Works for me!" Ash growled. "Use Slash" From his position behind the man, Croconaw dashed forward, his claws glowing white. The man reacted instantaneously, leaping back to dodge.

"Bayleef, grab him with Vine Whip!" The trainer ordered. The grass-type responded in kind, vines extending from the stubs on her neck and enveloping the surprised Nobody in her grasp.

"Hah!" Sora grinned at the trapped man mockingly. "Not so tough now, are you?"

"Feh…" The cloaked figure scoffed. "I don't know. How 'bout I show you?"

"What—" Faster any of them could react, the Nobody's image distorted before disappearing completely. A cry of pain prompted them to turn just in time to see the man violently kick Croconaw into a nearby wall.

"Croconaw!" Ash cried out in both fear and rage. "How _dare_ you—"

"How dare _I?_ " The man cut him off. And suddenly, his once smug voice was deathly serious. Despite the fact that he couldn't see his face, Ash felt a cold chill run down his spine as a crossbow materialized in the man's hand.

"I warned you to put your mutants on a leash, kid," the Nobody said coldly. His image distorted once more and the party spun around just in time to see the man fire a bolt of pure energy directly into Bayleef's chest, sending her hurtling down the stairs.

"Bayleef!" Ash shouted, his eyes widening in horror each time he saw her slam into one of the steps. Before he could move to save her, he suddenly found a crossbow pointed directly at his face. Staring into the indiscernible, shadowed face of his assailant, Ash felt a twinge of terror run up his spine.

"Ash!" Sora cried as he watched his friend slowly sink to his knees.

"Atta boy," the man said in a mocking tone of voice. He reached down and patted the trainer's head as though he were a small child before turning towards Sora and the others. "Let this be a reminder of who just you're dealing with."

With that, the man stepped away and disappeared through a dark portal. The moment he was gone, Sora moved forward. "Ash!" he said, grasping his friend on the shoulder. "Ash, you okay?"

"I…" The raven-haired teen felt his throat go dry. "I-I…"

"Snap out of it!" Donald growled, shoving several potions into his arms. "Give these to Bayleef. I'm gonna check on Croconaw."

Goofy nodded his agreement. "Up and at 'em, Ash," he said, lifting the boy by the bicep. "Don't let him get to ya."

The Kanto native nodded mutely before making his way down the stairs to where Bayleef lay unconscious. Sora followed him with a concerned look on his face, as though Ash might fall apart at any moment. Upon reaching the fallen Pokemon, Ash knelt and gently cradled her head in his lap.

"Bayleef," he said softly. "I...I'm sorry. This is my fault. I thought that after everything I… _we've_ been through, everything would be alright as long as we stuck together."

The sound of his voice seemed to stir her back into consciousness as her eyes slowly fluttered open. "Bay…"

Ash felt his eyes start to sting as he gently coaxed her into drinking the potion. "I'm sorry," he repeated, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I'm sorry." Sora watched this all with a clenched fist. He slowly looked up at the rooftops where they'd first seen the Organization and snarled slightly.

They'd pay for this.

The teen returned his attention back to the trainer and his Pokemon. But that would come later. Right now his friend needed him. Sora sighed before cautiously approaching the two. "C'mon, Ash," he said quietly. "It wasn't your fault."

"Of course it was!" The other boy snapped, glaring at him. Sora took no offense to this, as he could tell that the other boy's anger wasn't directed at him but rather, at himself. "I'm their trainer. It's my responsibility to make sure they don't get in over their heads. It's my job to pick what battles they fight. I picked wrong and they paid the price for it."

"And you think they want to see you get hurt any more than you want to see them get hurt?" Sora retorted. "From what I've seen so far, these Pokemon love you just as much as you love them. They followed your orders because they wanted to protect you."

"They followed my orders because they trust my judgement." Ash scowled. "And I failed in that respect."

"There's no way you could have known that guy would be able to pull all that off!" Sora exclaimed, gritting his teeth in frustration.

"Ignorance isn't an excuse, Sora," the trainer snapped and immediately, Sora opened his mouth to issue a hot retort.

"You're right," another voice cut in and the two teens turned to see Leon approaching them with Donald, Goofy and Croconaw in tow. The water-type looked a little winded, but otherwise unharmed; likely thanks to Donald's healing magic. Ash made a mental note to thank him later.

"Leon?" Sora asked hesitantly. The scarred man stared at Ash stoically.

"You messed up," he said bluntly. Sora opened his mouth to refute that statement, but the man went on. "That's what you want to hear, right? You screwed up and your Pokemon got hurt because of you."

"Leon, that's—"

"So, get up, learn from your mistakes and get stronger," Leon said sharply. "Get over yourself. You do you and your Pokemon a disservice by sitting there moping about your screw ups. So. Get. Up."

Ash stared at the leather-clad man in wide-eyed wonder for several moments. "Bay. Bay!" Blinking, he turned towards Bayleef in time to have his cheek nuzzled. The sauropod cooed affectionately as she continued her ministrations. Ash felt two stubby arms wrap around him and looked down to see Croconaw grinning at him. A feeling of gratitude bubbled within his chest and he lowered his face. Sora was unable to see Ash's eyes, as his hat did well in concealing them. But the small smile making its way onto his face was all he needed to see.

Slowly, Ash stood up and when he met their gazes, they were relieved to see determination burning within them once more. "You're right," he said. "I can't let this stop me."

"That's the spirit, Ash," Goofy said with a beaming smile.

"Hmph. Always moping." Donald grumbled, though if one looked carefully, they'd be able to see the tiny upward quirk of his mouth that signaled his relief.

"Thank you, Sora," Ash said; to which the brown-haired teen smiled. "And thank you, Leon." The man simply nodded in return. "And... about your request…"

"Oh?" Leon raised an eyebrow.

Ash nodded. "I'll agree to let them stay here," he said, patting his two Pokemon on their heads. "I don't want them getting involved with the Organization until we know what we're dealing with. Plus I think they could do some real good around here."

Leon's eyes widened for a moment before a small smile formed on his face. "Thank you, Ash." He said sincerely. "You have my word that we'll do our best to keep them safe while you're on your journey."

"Thanks, Leon." Ash grinned at him. "And if you ever need our help dealing with those Heartless, just give us a call. We'll come running." He felt something nudging him and turned to meet the concerned gaze of Bayleef.

"Baay…"

"I know you're worried, Bayleef," he said softly. "But this is something I have to do." He turned his head to meet Croconaw's eyes as well. "I need you two to keep this place safe from the Heartless and Nobodies, okay? No… Not just you two. All of the Pokemon need to play their part. We're all in this together, even if we're far apart."

The two Pokemon still looked uncertain but nodded regardless. Ash smiled. "Make sure to listen to Leon and the others, okay?" He rubbed their heads with a grin. "They'll take care of you while I'm gone."

"Of course." Leon smirked slightly. "I suppose that since you're an honorary member of the Restoration Committee, that makes all your Pokemon honorary members as well."

"That's right!" Sora exclaimed. "We never did thank you for those cards, Leon."

The man waved his thanks off. "Don't mention it." The Keyblader reached into one of his many pockets and retrieved his membership card. Holding it up to the light, he admired it one more time. Imagine their shock when the card suddenly began glowing.

"Whoa!" The teen exclaimed, instinctively dropping the card and retracting his hand. Surprisingly, the card did not fall; instead floating before them while emanating a soft white light. Suddenly, Sora's Keyblade appeared in a flash of light while Oathkeeper appeared in Ash's hand. The teens glanced down at their respective weapons as they too began emitting a soft white glow.

"What's this?" Leon asked warily.

Ash could only stare at Oathkeeper in awe. "Sora, do you think…?"

"It must be…" The brown-haired teen murmured. They glanced at each other for a moment before nodding in unison. As one, they held their Keyblades before them as light began to rapidly whip around their bodies. Beneath their feet, a bright light began to glow in the shape of a crown. Just above them at a 75 degree angle, Sora's membership card floated midair. As one, the two Keyblade wielders pointed their respective weapons at the card, causing a beam of light to shoot forth and strike the card in a shower of light.

Leon and the others could only watch in varying degrees of awe as the gateway between worlds was opened. "That was it," Sora exclaimed. "The gate Yen Sid was talking about."

"Well, that's one down," Donald nodded in satisfaction. "Now we can head out."

"So, that's it, huh?" Leon questioned. Goofy nodded sheepishly.

"'Fraid so," he smiled. "Sorry fer the lack of warning and all."

Sora clapped Ash on the shoulder. "Time to hit the road again," he said. "We'll take some time to say goodbye to all your Pokemon and the rest of the Committee first. And maybe do some last minute shopping to replenish the potions we used."

Ash nodded. "Right."

As the group began to make their way back into the town proper, Ash paused for a moment to stare at the rooftops where they'd first saw the hooded Nobodies. His eyes narrowed as he clenched his fist. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

' _Organization XIII_ … _Who are they?_ '

And... why had those voices sounded so painfully familiar? Once again, like many times before since starting this journey, Ash didn't know.

* * *

 **A/N: Holy crap that was long! I'm very glad I cut that into 2 parts. This chapter was about 8.5k words long. Chapter 6 was about 6.3k words long. If I had kept them together, it would have come out to a whopping 14.8k words, more than I've ever written for any single chapter in one of my fics.**

 **Anyway, I hope those battles were enjoyable for you. I tried something new in this chapter with the whole adding music thing. Let me know if you thought it worked. If not, then oh well. I'll avoid doing it again in the future.**

 **Also, someone asked me for a timeframe and character ages for this fic. Since there's a whole two whole new regions Ash traveled through that he didn't in the original, the timeline is just slightly different. It goes as following:**

 **Kanto:** 1 year

 **Orange Islands:** ½ year

 **Johto:** 1 year

 **Hoenn:** 1 year

 **Battle Frontier:** ½ year

 **Sinnoh:** 1 year

 **Unova:** 1 year

 **Kalos:** 1 year

 **Factoring all of that, Ash comes out at about 17 years old.**

 **Misty is slightly older at 18, since she acts like an older sister to Ash while still being quite immature herself.**

 **Brock is 21, having clearly been a teenager when Ash was 10.**

 **Tracey is a little trickier. He's older than Ash, but not quite as old as Brock. I decided on 19.**

 **May is 15, having started her journey two years after Ash.**

 **Max turned 10 earlier this (in-universe) year and was in the middle of his first journey when the Heartless attacked.**

 **Dawn is 14, having started about a year and a half after May.**

 **Iris is likewise slightly older than Ash at 18 for the same reasons as Misty.**

 **Cilan is 20 years old, since, as the caretaker of their Unova party, I wanted him to be older than his companions. But again, not quite as old as the Brockster.**

 **Serena is the same age as Ash, 17, having been childhood friends.**

 **Clemont is likewise the same age, 17, since he acts neither younger nor older than his companions; despite his intelligence.**

 **Bonnie is half a year younger than Max at 9. Actually, she will be turning 10 soon and may just end up picking her starter Pokemon…**

 **Of the Kingdom Hearts cast:**

 **Sora has been bumped up to 16, since I didn't want too big of an age gap between him and Ash.**

 **Kairi has likewise been bumped up to 16.**

 **Riku is the same age as Ash at 17, since canonically, he is one year older than his friends.**

 **And that's all, folks! Once again I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Until next time!**

 **Your King**

* * *

 **Missing You - KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 ReMIX** _watch?v=D3TpPnEqyBo_

* * *

Far from Hollow Bastion and the worries of the Heartless and Nobodies, a girl stood facing the vast, endless sea. The setting sun slowly dipped below the horizon as she silently stood her vigil. She had done this every day for the past year. Her friends constantly worried about her, despite her insistence that she was fine.

It's just… She needed to remember. The boy who she'd forgotten. Whose name started with the letter ' _S_ '.

So...ra… Sora? No… Was it? The girl frit her teeth in frustration. Every time she felt like she was close to remembering, something came dragging her thoughts away. Coming to watch the ocean always allowed her to relax. It allowed her thoughts to settle and try to remember. But recently, her favorite spot didn't help. Her thoughts were as muddled as always whenever she tried to think of him.

"Kairi?" a voice called out to her. Silently, the girl turned to see another girl, several inches shorter. "Let's head home. It's getting dark."

"...I'll be there in a second, Selphie." The girl known as Kairi said quietly. The other girl bit her lip for a few seconds before reluctantly nodding. The red-haired girl watched as she slowly disappeared around the corner before sighing and returning her attention to the sea one final time for the night.

It was this final glance that allowed her to see something quite peculiar. There was something floating in the water not too far from shore. It glowed slightly, as though powered by some internal source. It was actually a miracle that she hadn't seen it earlier. Squinting her eyes, Kairi focused on the floating object. It was… an animal? An animal clinging to a piece of driftwood! The girl let out a gasp.

She acted immediately. Throwing off her shoes and socks, as well as her school blazer, she wadded into the water towards the stranded animal. As she approached the creature, she saw that its eyes were glossy. The only indication that the poor thing was still alive was the shallow rise and fall of its chest.

Eventually, the water became too deep for her to wade through and with a small grimace she dove headlong into the water. Entering a basic stroke, she swam towards the animal, gently gathering it into her arms before paddling her way back towards shore. When the girl felt her feet meet solid ground once more, she stood and rushed to higher ground. Shivering from the cold, Kairi deposited the animal onto her warm blazer. From the nearby streetlamp, she was final able to make out the creature's features.

Its fur was a bright yellow, with prominent red spots on its cheeks. Two elongated ears peaked out from its head, both tipped black. A long, zig-zag shaped tail jutted out from behind it, giving it the appearance of a lightning bolt. She gently placed her hand against its forehead. Unsurprisingly, it was ice-cold. Who knew how long the poor thing had been adrift for?

" _Pi…?_ "

Kairi gasped as the creature let out a weak whimper. "I-It's okay…" The girl stammered, her teeth chattering from her constant shivering. "E-Everything's going to be fine. I'll get you somewhere warm..."

" _Pika...chu...:_ "

" _P-Pikachu?_ " The girl cocked her head as she gathered the rest of her belongings. "I-Is… that your name? I-Is your name Pikachu?"

The animal blearily opened its warm charcoal eyes and gazed at the human currently clutching him to her chest. Her skin was freezing cold from the water and was she was shivering nonstop. " _Pi…_ "

"I-I'll take that as as yes," Kairi smiled, despite the cold. "D-Don't worry, Pikachu. I'll take care of you. Let's go find someplace warm, okay?"

Pikachu continued to stare as the girl quickly made her way down the street, likely towards her home. There was something… incredibly familiar about this girl. It wasn't often that he felt so at ease when being held by a complete stranger. Her natural aura almost reminded him of…

" _Pikapi…?_ "

* * *

 **A/N 2: Did I say 8.5k words? Make that 9.5k.**

 **How much you wanna bet that half of my readers will have no idea what's going on next time we see Kairi because they clicked away the minute the first author's note started? xD**

 **Consider this a reward for reading the A/N and/or reviewing!**

 **P.S. I do this quite often, so always check!**


	8. Bond(s) - Reformed

**A/N: If you didn't read past the author's note in the last chapter, I highly suggest you do so now.**

 **Chapter 8: Bond(s) — Reformed**

* * *

The black-haired trainer stared out the window of the Gummi Ship, his eyes glassy and unfocused. He'd been like this ever since they'd left Hollow Bastion and his friends were getting worried.

"Ash?" Sora called out in concern from his position piloting the ship. "You okay?"

"Hmm?" The teen blinked and turned to face the concerned gazes of his friends. "Oh, I'm fine."

"You've been out of it ever since we left Hollow Bastion," Donald grunted, an unimpressed look on his face. "Don't tell me you're still moping?"

"I'm not _moping_ , Donald," Ash said with an annoyed glare. He could only sigh as the others continued to stare at him. Despite taking offense to the way he worded that sentence, Ash would be lying if he said Donald was wrong. It had been quite a while since he'd first woken up in Twilight Town and the quartet had gotten into quite a few fights since then.

"It's just… All this fighting must be taking its toll on me," he admitted.

"It's been close to sixteen hours since we woke up in Twilight Town," Jiminy said from Sora's shoulder. "It's no surprise you're starting to feel out of it; especially considering how much fighting we've been doing."

"Has it really been that long?" Sora spoke up in surprise.

"'Fraid so," Goofy said, glancing at a clock on the control board. "You two should get some shut-eye while ya can. It'll take us a while to get to the next world."

"And what about you?" Ash asked in concern. It wasn't healthy to stay awake for so long. That, and there was always the risk of falling asleep at the wheel.

"We can sleep in shifts," Jiminy suggested. "Someone can take the first shift and I'll stay with him to make sure he doesn't fall asleep. Then we'll wake someone else to take over so the first person can rest."

"I can still go for a while," Goofy spoke up. "I'll take first shift. Donald can go after me."

"Why are you volunteering me?!"

"Sounds like a plan," Sora said, handing the controls over to Goofy just as Donald let out a squawk of indignation. The teen stood up and yawned, stretching his tired muscles. "I'll go after Donald. Wake me up when it's time for my shift. Let's go, Ash."

"Where are we going exactly?" The trainer asked as he followed Sora and an irate Donald out of the ship's cockpit.

"To our quarters," Donald grumbled, striding down a hallway towards a set of doors. "There's only two rooms, so you'll have to bunk with one of us."

"Plenty of beds though," Sora offered. "So if you want a room to yourself, I can bunk with Donald."

"It's fine," Ash said with a wry smile. "I'm used to rooming with others, so it's no big deal."

"Well, if you don't mind then I'll take a room for myself," the duck grumbled. "Maybe get some peace and quiet for once…"

"We're not _that_ bad, Donald," Ash said with a frown. The anthropomorphic duck gave him a deadpan stare.

"Try saying that after rooming with Sora and Goofy for a year," he said with a huff before entering the room opposite theirs. The door shut with a decisive click.

"Well, that was a thing," Sora chuckled sheepishly as they entered their own room. "Sorry if I keep you awake…"

"I'm a pretty heavy sleeper," Ash said with a chuckle of his own. "I'll be fine."

The brown-haired Keyblader pressed a button as they stepped inside. The walls folded open and revealed several beds; two bunks on each side for a total of six.

Ash whistled. "You weren't kidding about there being plenty of beds."

"Pick any one you want," Sora said, plopping onto one of the beds. "Just make sure you remember which one you used so we can wash the sheets later on."

"Right," Ash nodded before deciding on the top bunk of the beds opposite Sora. By the time he took off his shoes and socks, he could already hear loud snores coming from the direction of his companion's bed. Giving an amused chuckle, the teen laid down on his own bed.

He was asleep before his head even touched the pillow.

* * *

"Well… this was unexpected," Ash said in a neutral tone of voice as he suddenly found himself standing at his Station of Awakening. He turned to the surrounding darkness but found no one. "Is this normal? Aqua? Helloooooo?"

Suddenly, the hair on the back of his neck began to prickle and he leapt to the right just as a dark gray Keyblade struck the ground where he'd been standing just moments prior. "What the heck?!"

"Not bad," his assailant said with a grin. "Not bad at all."

"What are you doing, Aqua?!" Ash demanded. "Are you trying to kill me?!"

"Training," the girl said, her face settling into a battle-hardened glare as she brandished her Keyblade once more. "Draw your weapon."

"Now?" he whined. "But I wanted to…" her glare intensified. "...Warm up first."

"The Heartless won't wait for you to warm up," Aqua said with an annoyed huff. Her hold on her weapon tightened. "Draw!"

Ash yelped as she once again charged at him. Summoning his own Keyblades, he met her slash with one of his own, locking it in place. Quickly raising his offhand, he attempted as stab, but was shocked as she raised her leg and _kicked_ his weapon aside with her armored boot.

Aqua grinned before releasing her grip on her weapon and backflipped away, causing him to stumble forward. Quickly catching himself, he looked up in time to see Aqua summoning her weapon and pointing at him.

"Fire." Resisting the urge to curse, he rolled out of the way as a fireball came hurtling overhead. "Fire! Blizzard! Thunder! Dance for me, Ash!"

"You crazy woman!" The trainer roared as he frantically dodged the storm of elemental magic. The blue-haired girl simply laughed.

Gritting his teeth, Ash jabbed his own Keyblade at her. "Thunder!" Once again, a pitiful spark of electricity short forth from his weapon, only to fizzle out a half second later. The raven-haired teen blushed mightily as Aqua raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'm still working on that one." he said weakly.

"I can tell," Aqua nodded, pointing her Keyblade at him once more. "Fire."

He really did curse this time.

* * *

"You did well," Aqua said with a bright smile. "Your instincts and technical skills are well honed. You just need to work on your strength and endurance."

Ash, meanwhile, was collapsed on his back, murmuring hysterically about "demonic super-women".

"Oh, quit being a baby," the blue-haired girl giggled. "It wasn't that bad. You should've seen the things Master Eraqus made us go through."

"Why did we even do this?" he moaned. "I just wanted to sleep."

"You don't have to worry about that," Aqua said with a grin. "When you wake up, your body will be refreshed as if you slept like a baby. As for why…" She reached into her satchel and retrieved her blue lucky charm. "We're connected through this."

"The charms?" he asked, placing a hand on his own, hidden beneath his shirt.

"They're called Wayfinders," she explained. "When I made them, I placed a tiny bit of myself in them. So when you wear it, I can sometimes sense tiny echoes of your thoughts and emotions. Not enough to invade your privacy, but I can tell when you're angry or scared and can send positive emotions in return."

"So that's what that warm feeling was," Ash murmured, tightening his hold on his own Wayfinder.

"And lately, I've been feeling helplessness," Aqua said seriously. "You feel weak and you're afraid about it."

Ash flinched as she hit the nail on the head. "...I can barely keep up with the others," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair. "I… I'm afraid I'm just slowing them down. I'm afraid that I won't be able to save my friends… that I won't be able to save _you_."

"And that's why I'm doing this," the girl said, kneeling beside him with a warm smile. "I'm not just a damsel in distress, Ash. You forget that I'm a Keyblade Master. I may not be able to escape the Realm of Darkness on my own, but that doesn't mean I'll just sit idly by."

Ash looked up at her in surprise. "You mean… you'll help me?"

"Of course," she said this as though it were obvious. "Isn't that what friends are for?"

"Friends, huh…?" Ash chuckled before shaking his head and smiling at her. "...Thank you, Aqua." He paused. "Speaking of friends…"

"What is it?"

"You said you can send positive emotions from this right?" The teen raised his Wayfinder for her to see. At her nod, he continued. "Then… Do people other than you and I have them?"

"H-Huh?" The girl's eyes widened. "H-How did you know that?"

"Because sometimes… I can _feel…_ something," Ash grimaced at his own poor explanation. "Like, when you know someone is standing behind you, even if you can't see them."

"That's probably my own presence you feel," Aqua said cautiously. He shook his head.

"No, it's definitely not you," he insisted. "At least, not _just_ you. There are definitely two other people I can sense, if only just barely."

The blue-haired girl couldn't believe her ears. "Y-You're sure?" she stammered. "You're _positive_ you feel two others?"

"Yes." He stressed. "What is it, Aqua?"

"The only other people to have these Wayfinders," her voice wavered slightly. "Are my friends, Terra and Ventus."

Now, Ash may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he could tell when someone was emotionally distraught. "...What happened?"

"...Do you remember when we first met?" she answered his question with one of her own. "I told you that one of my friends was falling into darkness. And that I took his place."

"And that was—"

"Terra," the girl whispered hoarsely. "So, he's still there? You can feel him?"

"Just barely," Ash said honestly. "He doesn't seem to trust me very much."

"A-And Ventus, too?" Aqua murmured. "He was so young when he… he lost his heart."

"Lost his heart?" Ash repeated, an alarmed look on his face. But it was clear Aqua wasn't keen on explaining right now. He had to respect that. "I can feel him though. He's still there."

"Yes," the girl had a relieved look on her face. "He is…" The raven-haired teen stared at her for a few moments, with his brow furrowed. Ventus had lost his heart? And Terra was falling into darkness? Why did that all sound familiar?

It was then he realized.

"I understand!" he suddenly shouted, startling the girl beside him.

"H-Huh?" she squeaked. "Understand what?"

"A while ago, my friends and I spoke with Master Yen Sid," Ash explained. "When I asked him what I was supposed to do, he told me to find three people. Someone lost in darkness. Someone _consumed_ by darkness. And someone who needs his heart returned to him."

Aqua stared at him in confusion for a moment before understanding dawned on her face. "U-Us?"

"That's why the King wanted me!" He exclaimed. "He must know I'm connected to you!"

"But how?" The girl asked in bewilderment.

"Because... Everything is connected." Ash said, his eyes widening even as he spoke. "Just like Yen Sid said! Everybody and everything on this journey is connected. Like... invisible bonds tying us together." The teen shook his head. "That's what I'm supposed to do! I'll find Terra and Ventus and together, we'll save you from the Realm of Darkness!"

"Y-You don't have to push yourself…" she said weakly.

"I don't _have_ to do anything," he agreed with a grin on his face. "I'm doing it because I want to. That's what friends are for, right?"

"Ash…" Aqua stared at him in wonder. The raven-haired teen found his eyes widening as he felt her arms snake around him and the smell of vanilla flooding his senses. "Thank you."

"Y-You're welcome," Ash stammered, his face flushing slightly. She pulled away and smiled at him. However, instead of returning it, he could only feel a cold chill riding up his spine. There was something off about that smile…

"Well, if you're gonna be saving us, I guess that means I'll have to up your training!" She said cheerfully.

Ash's only answer was to let out a high-pitched whining sound.

* * *

 **A/N: I refuse to accept episode 38 of XY &Z as canon. That was bullshit and you all know it. They even trolled us by having Edgelord Alain's Charizard ALMOST fall over. **

**I swear, I was TRIGGERED seeing Greninja all swirly-eyed like that and TRIGGERED again when I saw Ash smile after losing like that. Throw a fit! Rage! Cry! Do something! You just lost in the finals! You were so close!**

 **It's very disconcerting when I'm more pissed that Ash lost than Ash was. Have you seen the dislike ratio on TVTokyo's episode 39 preview?**

 **watch?v=kkDBCBiFsMs**

 **You can FEEL the salt.**

 **/rant off**

 **Anyway, I apologize for taking so long to get this short one out. I've been distracted by WoW. The new expansion hits next week and I've been rushing to get all my characters to max level.**

 **I can't promise that updates will come faster, but I can promise that I won't stop working on this fic. (Since I kinda have someone else cracking the whip…)**

 **Okay, now I doubt this will make it into the story, but just for fun, if you were to give each of Ash's friends a signature Mega, what would it be? Some are obvious. Others don't even have a Pokemon capable of mega evolving. I'm thinking:**

 **Brock** — Mega Steelix

 **Misty** — Mega Gyarados

 **Tracey** — Mega Scizor? I think his Scyther might be a little too old to mega evolve but w/e

 **May** — Mega Blaziken

 **Max** — Mega Gallade? We all know that Max intends to go back for that Ralts and I think Gallade fits him better than Gardevoir. That, and Ash already has one lol

 **Dawn** — Mega Lopunny

 **Iris** — Mega Garchomp? I think it's a little too soon for her Gible to have evolved, but w/e

 **Cilan** — Mega Kangaskhan? This one is a bit of stretch. It has more to do with Cilan's role a caretaker. But then again, maybe that would fit Brock better.

 **Serena** — Mega Altaria? Again, bit of a stretch, but since Lisia used one for contests in ORAS, I think it would fit well with Serena's Kalos Queen goal.

 **Clemont** — Mega Ampharos? Another stretch. Simply because it's an electric type lol

 **Anyway, that's enough out of me. Tell me your thoughts in the box below and have a good day.**

 **\- Your King**

* * *

 **Kairi - KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 ReMIX ~** _watch?v=tSb3UJsHQNI_

* * *

The sound of day-to-day busywork was what met the exhausted Pikachu's ears as his eyes blearily opened. When his gaze fell upon an unfamiliar ceiling, he stiffened for a moment before relaxing. He wasn't bound or caged and the window was even open, so he could escape any time he wanted.

A glance around told him he was in a human bedroom. Judging by the pink bed sheets and plush toys lining a nearby shelf, it was safe to assume it belonged to a female. Humans were weird like that. He took a quick sniff of the air. It smelled of strawberries. Not overbearingly so, but just enough to pleasantly tickle the nose. It reminded him of the scented lotions some of Ash's female friends would use. Whoever had brought him here had also taken the time to bath him, if the fruity smell of shampoo was anything to go by.

Who had brought him here? And where were Ash and the others? The last thing he remembered was charging into a shadowy horde of monsters with his comrades at his side, and then… nothing.

The door to the room opened and Pikachu felt his body stiffen once more. Turning towards the door, he saw a red-haired girl enter with a tray of food. She paused when she saw him and smiled brightly, not seeing or perhaps ignoring his suspicious gaze.

"You're awake!" she exclaimed, striding over and placing the tray down. Pikachu's mouth watered as the glorious sight before him. "I wasn't sure what kind of food you'd like, so I made a lot…"

"Pika!" Suspicion thrown out the window, the yellow Pokemon eagerly dove… straight towards a bottle of ketchup.

"Eh?" Kairi's eyes widened as she saw the creature begin to guzzle the condiment. "Hey, you shouldn't…" She paused as the rodent sent her a pleading look. Pikachu hugged the bottle close to his body, as though he'd drop dead if he so much as put it down. His eyes began to water...

"...Oh, alright…"

"Pika!" Kairi giggled as he cheered and continued his quest to down an entire bottle in one go.

"Well, you look much better than you did last night," she said with a smile. Hearing this, Pikachu paused in his guzzling to turn to her questioningly. "You don't remember? I'm not surprised. You were barely conscious when I found you drifting on that piece of driftwood."

Suddenly, like someone throwing open the blinds, memories began to pour into his head. That was right… He'd been drifting for days on an endless ocean. The only things keeping him alive having been that driftwood and the thought of reuniting with Ash.

"Pikapi…"

"Hey, now, no need to look so sad," the girl admonished before pausing and looking him over curiously. "I've never seen something quite like you before. Is _Pikachu_ all you can say?"

"Pi." He nodded.

"Is… Pikachu your name? Or is that what you are?"

"Pi, pikachu."

The girl stared at him, her brow furrowed for a moment. "...Yes to both?"

"Pika!" He nodded in surprise. Not many humans were able to guess what a Pokemon was saying so well. Even with Ash, he usually had to resort to charades.

"Okay!" Kairi smiled. "Pikachu, then. I like that name!" She emphasized this by scratching him behind his ear.

"Chaaa~" He couldn't help but coo. There was just something about this girl that reminded him so much of his trainer. Even despite just meeting her yesterday, he already felt like he could trust her. Plus she gave him ketchup! That made her A-OK in his book!

"It's nice to meet you, Pikachu." The girl said with a giggle as his leg began to shake. "My name is—"

"Kairi, what is this mess in the kitchen?!" Both of them jumped as a raspy but strong voice spoke from just outside the door. Pikachu tensed as the door opened once more and an elderly woman hobbled in.

"G-Granny!" Kairi exclaimed as the woman's eyes fell on the yellow rodent. "I can explain…!"

"Oh?" The woman hummed, raising an eyebrow at the creature. "And what is this?"

"This is Pikachu," the younger girl explained hurriedly. "I found him adrift in the sea last night. You were already sleep by the time I got back and I didn't want to wake you, so I just decided to take care of him myself."

"I see…" Her caretaker murmured, her eyes gleaming strangely. "Let me see it for a moment…"

"Granny…?" Kairi cocked her head in confusion as the elderly woman approached them, Pikachu glaring at her the entire way. The woman reached into her pocket and retrieved something Kairi couldn't exactly make out. Then, without warning, the woman grabbed hold of Pikachu's tail.

The Pokemon reacted almost immediately. "CHUUUUUUU!"

"Eeek!" Kairi flinched back as electricity began to flow from the rodent's cheeks and around its body. "G-Granny!?"

"I see," the senior said with a thoughtful look on her face. As though she weren't currently being electrocuted by a yellow mouse. After several moments, the electricity faded, leaving a panting Pikachu, a stunned schoolgirl and a grinning old lady.

"G-Granny?" Kairi choked out. "A-Are you okay…?"

"Better than ever," her childhood nanny chuckled. She removed her hand, revealing it to be covered with a rubber glove before grinning at the glaring Pikachu. "I must say, I never thought I'd see another of your kind."

"Pika?" The mouse looked at her in confusion, as did the red-haired girl.

"Y-You've seen a Pikachu before?" Kairi asked, her eyes wide.

"Not one specifically," the older woman corrected. "But your mother used to bring home all sorts of strange creatures for me to get attacked by. She called them " _Pokemon_ ". After several unfortunate mishaps," she gave a wry grin at the still-glaring Pikachu. "I learned that yellow tends to mean electricity."

"M-Mom did?" Kairi exclaimed. "But… how? I've never seen something like… _that_ before! Electricity just shot out of its cheeks!"

"That's because they're not from here," the woman sighed, her mirth finally fading as she stared down at the Pokemon. "I'm guessing you're arrival here wasn't under the greatest circumstances?"

"Chu." The creature shook its head vehemently.

"I see…"

"Granny?"

The woman turned towards her charge. "Kairi, do you remember what I told you when you first asked about your mother?"

The girl's brow furrowed. "...You said that something terrible happened, but you wouldn't explain until I was older."

"Well, I think you're finally old enough." The woman said, frowning at Pikachu, who was now listening just as intently as Kairi. "Why don't you take a seat and I'll explain... _everything_. About where we come from. About your father. Your mother… And your brother."

"B-Brother?!" Contrary to the woman's suggestions, Kairi actually jumped to her feet, her eyes widening to the size of saucers. "I-I have a brother?"

"Pika?" The Pokemon likewise uttered, more in question than in shock.

The nanny sighed and nodded. "Yes."

"W-What…" Kairi choked out. "What is his name?"

"His name is..."

* * *

 **A/N: If you read the author's note at the top and** _ **still**_ **aren't seeing this, I don't know what to tell you. Not that I could** _ **tell**_ **you anything since you don't** _ **see**_ **this.** ಠ **_** ಠ

 **Note: In this fic, the woman Kairi refers to as Granny is the same woman we see multiple times in the KH series, but she is not Kairi's actual grandmother. She's her nanny/nursemaid, but since she's looked after Kairi for so long, she sees her like a grandmother.**

 **Oh, and props to Auriansmule for the new cover art.**


End file.
